Summer at the Ice Cream Café

In Jo Thomas’s latest book Beca is running away to her old life in her Welsh hometown having fled from there suddenly many years ago. Her family ran the local ice cream shop until ill health forced her grandparents to sell it and Beca is horrified to discover how it’s changed since then. With a wonderful mix of characters as you would expect, including some fabulous youngsters, this is a very warm hearted and uplifting read which I sadly sped through all too quickly!

I was lucky enough to have been given this latest Jo Thomas book to read and review. Yet again Jo you have written an absolute corker of a book. This time set in Wales, in the countryside next to the Sea. In true Jo style the book is filled with friendship and food. I really am craving genuine Italian Gelato right now. A wonderful read with believable characters. A very worthy 5 star review for a 5 star book.

My favourite book of the year so far! Loved this gentle story and romance and read it in one day! Another great story from Jo Thomas.

A lovely story of friendship, family and community. It brings warmth and cheer when you read it, you can't help but smile!

A beautiful heartwarming story of love, friendship and family. You can’t go wrong with a Jo Thomas book. Jo transports you into the lives of the characters and you feel part of the story, it’s one of those hard to put down books. This books takes you to the beautiful Welsh coast and tells the story of Beca who returns to the town she grew up in after leaving many years ago under extremely upsetting circumstances now she is back and determined to be happy there, She decides to foster and has a dairy farm to run so her hands are full but Griff her best friend from when they were young is there to help her along the way. This book was a joy to read.

As with every read from Jo Thomas, mouthwatering descriptions throughout left me feeling very hungry after every sitting. I love every book as it takes us somewhere different, with a mix of various foods, flavours, smells and experiences and this book is no exception.
I read every page totally immersed almost as is if I was right there; the picturesque setting reminding me of holidays in years gone by. I could smell the seafood in the air, almost taste the gelato, it stirred memories of being by the beach and spending time with family.
I loved the range of characters and thought Beca was wonderful. Going back to her roots, both in terms of moving home and restoring the gelato making traditions her grandparents are fondly remembered for. Beca has plans, great intentions and I love that this story shows people from differing backgrounds. I immediately loved Griff and hoped that they would see each other as more than just best friends.
There was so much more to the story that I initially thought, it had me choked up with emotion on more than one occasion, and I’m not embarrassed to say I almost shed a tear.
A gorgeous story of second chances, choosing your family and following your heart.
Great read!

Very enjoyable book. Put me in the mood for summer and to book a holiday to wales. Highly recommend this book

You can always guarantee good book from Jo Thomas and this is another bestseller. This is about Becca who once lived in a quaint little seaside town. She escaped to London years previously, but when her family home came on the market, she had made enough money to purchase it and return. This is not without it ups and downs, but it turns into a beautiful story of live and friendships and how a change of career and destination can bring much joy into your life. Loved it.

Jo Thomas is one of my favourite authors, and this book didn’t disappoint. Beca returns to the beautiful Pembrokeshire coast where she grew up, but is disappointed at some of the changes she finds. Having worked too hard at her business, she now wants a quieter, more meaningful life in the village where she grew up.
One of the biggest disappointments she finds is that Valentino’s, her family’s famed ice cream shop is now being run as a modern, trendy wine bar, selling ice-cream which is nowhere near as delicious as her family used to make.
This light hearted story is filled with engaging characters and amusing dialogue, especially with the two children she has decided to foster. Expecting two young children to arrive, she finds herself coping with teenagers, one surly, uncooperative, and glued to his phone. This engaging story explores relationships and disfunctional families, helping children who have suffered some hard knocks in life and becoming lost in the social care system.
Griff, a friend from when Beca was younger helps along the way. Beca is a strong, determined, warm hearted woman, and the book is filled with humour and laughter, but also heartbreaking at times. Scenic descriptions of the coast and sea make you feel you are there, enjoying the fresh air and breeze.
This is an uplifting, engaging book which is a joy to read.

I have read and enjoyed many of Jo Thomas’s books and this latest one does not disappoint. Great characters, wonderful feel good factor and the setting is just perfect. Thoroughly recommend.

I always love this authors work and this book was no exception. A lovely story which was well written in a great location. Easy to read with good characters. The perfect read for summer. Recommend

Such a fantastic read, I felt very privileged to be asked to read Jo’s latest novel in advance of publication, it did not disappoint.

I was transported into the lives of all of the characters and could stop turning the pages.

I would recommend this to all my friends

5 stars 🌟 from me

I loved this story. The story line was completely new I had not come across this concept before. I just goes to show if you want something it is certainly worth going after it. This gripped me fully and I found it hard to put the book down.
An absolutely wonderful book. I want a follow up

I try never to miss a book by Jo Thomas, and this one is one of her best, in my opinion. The story of Becca's return to her village, the buying of the 'big house', the idea of fostering, all are so beautifully described. The interactions between the tow boys is so cleverly written. I really didnt want to finish this book! Thank you for the chance to read and review this novel.

Beautiful! Brilliant! Amazing! I am a huge fan of Jo Thomas and have read all of her books and this one certainly doesn't disappoint.
Jo has an amazing talent of drawing the reader in within the first couple of pages and making you feel like these are real people with real lives.
I loved Beca's, Griff, Blake & Joe's characters, the setting, the whole feeling of the book and wish I was at their BBQs on the beach right now!

A really enjoyable book all round. I always love to read novels by Jo Thomas and this one was no different. It was uplifting and I savoured every page. Love the character of Griff and the involvement of fostering with Joe and Blake. Plus the descriptions of the gelato made my mouth water!

This is a lovely heartwarming sweet tale. A story of past meeting present and giving hope for the future. The characters are many and varied and all working together to make everyone happy.

I never miss a Jo Thomas novel. She is adept at combining an excellent story with believable characters, good food, (In this case home-made ice cream) and descriptions of the local countryside that almost takes you there!
This time a fostering theme is included which is unusual and rewarding and adds much to the story, although sometimes not as happily as in this case. I know as I fostered for over 10 years. However it adds to the feel-good novel and brings some summer warmth and happiness. A lovely satisfying read which I highly recommend.

Thanks to Random House UK and NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

Oh my days what can I say about this book… Straight away you are transported to the beautiful picturesque setting. I instantly liked Beca and was constantly rooting for her throughout the story. I genuinely couldn’t put this down and finished it in one sitting. It certainly brightened up a cold, wet and windy day for me

Summer at the Ice Cream Cafe - Jo Thomas

What an absolutely brilliant read this was! I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of it and I couldn't put it down once I'd started reading - it drew me in immediately and I cared about the characters so much that I needed to know if they got the happy ending!

Beca Valentino returns home to a small Welsh village, years after running away to London and starting a successful business. She wants to return to her roots, and also hopes to give some children some of the great memories she had, through fostering. However, when she gets home, she wonders if she's made a mistake. The place is full of second home owners, her family's old gelato shop has been transformed, her childhood best friend Griff has grown up and now has a teenager of his own, and Beca isn't sure she belongs there anymore. Added to that, she immediately has two boys in her care who have had difficult upbringings.

We follow the story through summer, as Beca navigates her way through settling back into her home town, and strives to give the boys, Blake and Joe, as many good memories as possible in their short time with her. And can she also reconnect with Griff?

I really enjoyed everything about this book, and how the relationships between Beca, Griff, Blake and Joe developed. It was such a warm read, full of love, friendships, community, and second chance relationships! The writing made me picture the settling clearly, and has made me very excited for long summer nights and lots of ice cream (or gelato!). The characters were all so likeable in their own way, and I just wanted them to all be happy!

It's the first Jo Thomas book I've been lucky enough to read, but I think I need to get onto the back catalogue as soon as possible!!

Thank you so much to Jo Thomas, Random House UK, Transworld Publishers, and NetGalley for the ARC. 💕