Full Circle

Best Summer Ever by Heidi Swain is a most charming contemporary novel that I adored. It is the third book in the Wynmouth series but can be read as a stand-alone.

The reader finds themselves journeying to the Norfolk coast and the seaside town of Wynmouth, with the manor over-looking the town. The people are the heart of the village as they extend a friendly welcome to all. The hubs are the café, the pub and the beach huts. All the villagers are friendly but your business is never your own.

We see the healing power of both nature and of family.

Sometimes family can be domineering but ultimately family are those who love us, whether we are blood related or not.

We see the debate between nature and nurture as some kick against their roots, whereas others continue the passion that has come down the line. We witness that the love of horticulture seems to have skipped a generation but is alive and well in the grandchildren.

There are those who place the emphasis on formal education over being in nature but nature has so much to teach us.

A character has been restless, jumping from job to job, searching for her identity. It is beautiful to hear her proclaim, “I’d been looking for something to fulfil me for so long, and I found it right on our doorstep.”

We need to have the correct priorities – and that is people. Those who chase wealth and status will never be satisfied.

All the characters were wonderfully drawn, warm and welcoming. As the reader sinks into the pages of Best Summer Ever, we find hearts swelling with love. It is the perfect read.

JULIA WILSON