Hi there!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.
Today, we're taking part in a Rachel's Random Resources promotion featuring a new(ish) title that released a month or so ago via Lake Union Publishing. It's been labeled Fiction, Contemporary Romance, and even Romance, but honest to goodness, I think it fits into Women's Fiction safely, squarely, and PERFECTLY.
Why? Well, Women's Fiction is a category known for centering on predominantly female characters, chronicling their lives through ups, downs, and in-betweens, sharing a story from the heart and filled with heart, while imparting some knowledge, a bit of wisdom, and a dash of know-how...and yes, there is romance as well, but it's not as much about the actual love affair, but those in it. That, my friends, is in my humble opinion a perfect description for the journey we're about to embark on. So, if you're ready, join me as we celebrate today's blog tour guest and book of choice...
by
Victoria Connelly
Lake Union Publishing
About the book...
They have the whole summer ahead of them. Is it enough to rekindle the friendship they once shared?
Harriet Greenleaf dreams of spending the summer in a beautiful ancient priory on the Somerset coast with her two best friends—but her dream is bittersweet. On the one hand, it’s a chance to reconnect three lives that have drifted apart; on the other, she has a devastating secret to share that will change everything between them forever.
First to arrive is Audrey—the workaholic who’s heading for a heart attack unless she slows down and makes time for herself. Then Lisa, the happy-go-lucky flirt who’s always struggled to commit to anyone—or anything. Ever the optimist, can Harriet remind them of the joy in their lives and the importance of celebrating good friendship before it’s gone?
Through the highs and lows of a long, glorious summer, these three women will rediscover what it means to be there for each other—before they face the hardest of goodbyes.
Harriet Greenleaf dreams of spending the summer in a beautiful ancient priory on the Somerset coast with her two best friends—but her dream is bittersweet. On the one hand, it’s a chance to reconnect three lives that have drifted apart; on the other, she has a devastating secret to share that will change everything between them forever.
First to arrive is Audrey—the workaholic who’s heading for a heart attack unless she slows down and makes time for herself. Then Lisa, the happy-go-lucky flirt who’s always struggled to commit to anyone—or anything. Ever the optimist, can Harriet remind them of the joy in their lives and the importance of celebrating good friendship before it’s gone?
Through the highs and lows of a long, glorious summer, these three women will rediscover what it means to be there for each other—before they face the hardest of goodbyes.
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A gathering of friends at a palatial estate from yesteryear, catching up, swapping stories, sharing dreams...but each has truths to tell.
One Last Summer was an AMAZING read, really and truly. It seems like I've said that a lot of late, but what can I say, I'm on a GREAT reading roll! Here, we have a story filled with friendship and laughter, hopes and dreams, and that dreaded gray area in our futures called...THE FUTURE. No one knows what it will hold, and no amount of planning can truly prepare up for it...especially when cards are dealt that we weren't counting on. Yes, we're talking the big "C" here, my friends, but before you go getting all emotional over it...because I know I did as well, but there's plenty of time for that later...I beg you to stave off the raw emotions and go with the story because it's not really about the big "C", but rather about how we choose to live our lives after its grand reveal. What we do with our time, how we share the burden, the coping mechanisms employed, the bucket lists put into action...basically how we choose to LIVE.
Harrie is a STRONG woman, so much more so than her body might portray, but even that is made of stronger stuff than you might imagine. The amount of heart this woman has is incredible. Even in her time of need, she was choosing to think of others before herself...not to the added detriment of her own health, but to the added grace gifted her spirit and soul. She knew how it would affect her friends and how dearly it would be taken to heart, and she chose another way...well, at least as long as she could. Audrey, the best friend and workaholic, was having a hard time coming to terms with all that was changing in her life, so much so that it was starting to catch up. Through the midst of all that, she was still on point when first arriving for their summer together...she was in tune to Harrie which was heartwarming, but not herself. I loved her for the drive and take-care-of-everything nature, but I also longed for her to find a balance some day...something that her other half seems to be on top of himself (go Mike!). Lisa was a sweetheart...strong, stubborn, living life in the moment, and yet so affected by her own past that she literally shut herself down when the going got more than tough. It didn't make her any less in my eyes, but I shared her pain as she tried to resurface for herself and for Harrie. Then there are the supporting characters like Honor (Harrie's daughter), Samson (the stonemason), Mrs. Ryder (the initially abrasive, but caring housekeeper/cook), and so many more that play vital roles in the lives of these characters. The good just keeps coming.
Though this could simply be a story filled with tears of sadness, it reaches over those initial boundaries and pulls out the beauty that can be found in TRULY LIVING with grace, with love, and with friendship. Sad that it can take an "end of life" sentence to give us that push towards embracing the every day, but perhaps it's a lesson we can carry forth from the pages of fiction to our own lives and live fully as ourselves. Recommended whole-heartedly for fans of Women's Fiction, Fiction, and Contemporary Romance.
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About the author...
Victoria Connelly studied English literature at Worcester University, got married in a medieval castle in the Yorkshire Dales and now lives in rural Suffolk with her artist husband, a young springer spaniel and a flock of ex-battery hens.
She is the author of two bestselling series, Austen Addicts and The Book Lovers, as well as many other novels and novellas. Her first published novel, Flights of Angels, was made into a film in 2008 by Ziegler Films in Germany. The Runaway Actress was shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s Romantic Comedy Novel award.
Ms Connelly loves books, films, walking, historic buildings and animals. If she isn’t at her keyboard writing, she can usually be found in her garden, with either a trowel in her hand or a hen on her lap.
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Special thanks to Rachel at Rachel's Random Resources for the chance to bring this tour to you as well as the ebook for review. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is available now via Lake Union Publishing, so click on over to your favorite online retailer or stop by your local bookstore to snag a copy for your shelf!
Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!
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