The Summerhouse by the Sea by Jenny Oliver

Blurb

Nestled on the Spanish coast, bustling café Estrella features in every one of Ava Brown’s happiest memories. It’s where she tasted her first delectably-chocolatey churros, fell head-over-heels for her first crush – where she has been her happiest. So the chance to spend one last summer in her grandmother’s house, is one Ava can’t refuse.

Once the heart of the sleepy seaside village, the café now feels more ramshackle than rustic. It’s time to bring back the lethally strong sangria and mouth-wateringly delicious tapas – and before Ava knows it, she’s thrown herself into bringing the café back to life – a summer project her grandmother would be proud of!

But once summer is over, can Ava really say goodbye to Spanish seaside life? Or could this be the new beginning Ava didn’t realise she needed…

Review

This novel is less about romance, and more about self-discovery and the realisation of how the past shapes us and how it can sometimes hold us back. Recounted from the point of view of Ava and her brother Rory, both siblings (possibly Rory more than Ava) reach a crisis point where they discover that their lives as they know them are not necessarily the lives they need to be living, nor indeed the lives they should be living.

The setting is idyllic, the food is mouthwatering, and the characters are people I'd want to spend some serious time with. There wasn't one part of this book that I didn't like! I also wish I had the courage to do what Ava did...

About the Author

Jenny Oliver is the author of The Sunshine and Biscotti Club, set in sunny Tuscany, it is PERFECT for your holiday reading!

She also wrote the bestselling Cherry Pie Island series. The first five books - The Grand Reopening of Dandelion Cafe, The Vintage Ice Cream Van Road Trip, The Great Allotment Proposal, One Summer Night at the Ritz and Four Weddings and a White Christmas are out NOW! Mouthwatering, feel-good and the ultimate escapism!

Jenny wrote her first book on holiday when she was ten years old. Illustrated with cut-out supermodels from her sister's Vogue, it was an epic, sweeping love story not so loosely based Dynasty. Since then Jenny has gone on to get an English degree and a job in publishing that's taught her what it takes to write a novel (without the help of the supermodels). She wrote her first book The Parisian Christmas Bake Off on the beach in a notebook that would end up covered in sand each afternoon and damp from the sea. Nowadays her inspiration comes from her love of all things vintage, a fascination with other people’s relationships and an unwavering belief in happy ever after!

Follow her on Twitter @JenOliverBooks or go to the website jennyoliverbooks.com to find out more about Jenny, her books and read her blog!

Buy your copy here