I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Summer Fair by Heidi Swain Also by this author: Sleigh Rides and Silver Bells at the Christmas Fair, Mince Pies and Mistletoe at the Christmas Market, Sunshine and Sweet Peas in Nightingale Square, Snowflakes and Cinnamon Swirls at the Winter Wonderland
Series: Nightingale Square #4
Also in this series: Sunshine and Sweet Peas in Nightingale Square, Poppy's Recipe for Life
Published by Simon & Schuster UK Genres: Chicklit, Contemporary, Humour, Love & Romance
Pages: 448
Format: eARC
Source: from Netgalley
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Join Heidi Swain back in Nightingale Square for a sunshine and celebration filled summer....
Beth loves her job working in a care home, looking after its elderly residents, but she doesn’t love the cramped and dirty house-share she currently lives in. So, when she gets the opportunity to move to Nightingale Square, sharing a house with the lovely Eli, she jumps at the chance.
The community at Nightingale Square welcomes Beth with open arms, and when she needs help to organise a fundraiser for the care home they rally round. Then she discovers The Arches, a local creative arts centre, has closed and the venture to replace it needs their help too – but this opens old wounds and past secrets for Beth.
Music was always an important part of her life, but now she has closed the door on all that. Will her friends at the care home and the people of Nightingale Square help her find a way to learn to love it once more.?
Thank you to Simon and Schuster for my copy of this book via Netgalley and for letting me take part in this tour. I am a huge fan of Heidi’s writing and Nightingale square is such a lovely series so I was thrilled to return. This is the 4th book in the series but all can be read as standalones.
This book follows Beth who works at the local care home. Long time readers of this series will know that previous resident Harold moved to the care home recently but loves to visit his old neighbours. It was lovely to catch up with the residents of Nightingale Square but also to meet new characters in the care home. There were some interesting and funny characters here which I hope we get to see again.
Beth is such an easy character to like. She has been through a lot for such a young age and I just wanted things to go her way. I can understand why Beth removed music from her life but it’s clear she still had a passion for it so it did make me sad that she was without it.
Heidi has not only written about community but has also talked about mental health, grief and how we all keep going. Grief affects everyone in different ways and everyone needs to take it at their own pace.
This was a wonderful story of love, loss and friendship. It’s the sort of book that wraps you in a hug and leaves you feeling like you have made a whole new bunch of friends.
About Heidi Swain
Although passionate about writing from an early age, Heidi Swain gained a degree in Literature, flirted briefly with a newspaper career, married and had two children before she finally plucked up the courage to join a creative writing class and take her literary ambitions seriously.
A lover of Galaxy bars, vintage paraphernalia and the odd bottle of fizz, she now writes contemporary fiction and enjoys the company of a whole host of feisty female characters.
Heidi can be found at the keyboard at all hours of the day and night and quite often scribbling longhand in her car during her lunch break. She lives in stunning south Norfolk with her wonderful son and daughter and a mischievous cat called Storm.
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