This was a really nice book to read!

I thought that the story flowed very well and the characters were a good match. The author has a lovely writing style and she really had me rooting for them for most of the book!

Five stars from me for this one, I loved the story and found it a really nice read and an excellent way to pass a few hours - very highly recommended and it would be the perfect summer read!!

A beautiful book of love and redemption and finding home again. I absolutely loved it and cannot wait to read the rest of the series.

This is my first book by Sarah Bennett and it won't be my last. I enjoy these fun, romantic stories on the coast in the UK. Beth returns to Lavender Cove for the funeral of Eleanor, the woman who raised her. When she finds out that Eleanor has left the Emporium to her, she needs to figure out what to do with it. She lives in London, not Lavender Bay. When she returns to London, she realizes that there is nothing there for her, she has broken up from her boyfriend and the promotion at work seems to be going to someone else. Time to go back home.

This story is filled with great characters, friendships and memories. Eliza, Libby and Beth (all named Elizabeth, so they had to take on nicknames) have been best friends all their lives. I love the relationship these ladies share. The others in Lavender Bay all love them as well and support whatever they are trying to do.When trouble brews, the people in the town are there to help. When romance is in the air, friends promote and encourage and when emotions boil over, friends are able to calm and support. A wonderful story filled with love, loyalty, friendship, a bit of angst and happy endings. I am definitely going to read the next one in this series. The publisher, HQ Digital, generously provided me with a copy of this book to read. The opinions shared are my own.

This is a brilliant 5 star modern romance. It's the first in a series about "Lavender Bay" . Beth is unhappy working in London. She returns home to Lavender Bay when her close friend Eleanor dies. Eleanor has left Beth her shop, Eleanor's Emporium and her flat above. Along with her friends Libby, Eliza and Sam, Beth cleans up the shop ready to open. Meanwhile sparks start to fly with her and Sam, whom she has known since childhood, leading to a sizzling romance.

A lovely start to the Lavender bay series. I read the Butterfly Cove series and enjoyed it, this isn't disappointing.
I love the friendship between the three girls and not surprised her and Sam got together. Look forward to the other two books which I'm presuming is about each of the girls. Look forward to book two.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from the publisher and am voluntarily reviewing it. I waited too long to download it due to being very ill on and off since November. I gladly purchased it since I dropped the ball. Just realized this recently. It has never happened before or will again. lol Beth Reynolds comes back home for the funeral of Eleanor of the jumble store who she grew up near and more like a mother than her own. She decides to restore it and leave London and her previous horrible job and figure out what she is doing with her life. Then Sam Barnes, her best friends brother becomes more than a friend and sparks fly!! I love this book and cannot wait to read the rest of the series!!!! I read this in a day. I love finding new authors!

A rather pleasant and light, but all in all too banal story

This was my first book by Sarah Bennett and I requested the ARC partly because a lot of my GR friends praised her "Butterfly Cove"-series and partly because of the cute cover/story setting.
I mean: pretty, little seaside town, in serious need of a makeover?? Yess, totally my kind of story, bring it on!!
However, I found the book rather underwhelming and the MC, Beth, seriously frustrating. It is one thing when the heroine starts out as a kind of doormat and self-doubting person in the beginning as long as there is some noticeable character development by the end. I did not really feel this happened here especially as almost before the very end we are delivered the possibly most hackneyed trope of chick-lit ever (view spoiler) just to add extra pages and some fake drama.
Overall it did not improve the stock-romance between a boy-and-girl-next door and left me with a feeling of annoyance.

Thanks Netgalley, the Publisher and the Author. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and shall make a point of ordering the Butterfly cove series.

I love the way Sarah writes and transports you into the world of her characters. this is no exception. A read to warm you up and give you a smile

Spring at Lavender Bay is the first in a new trilogy from author Sarah Bennett. I read and enjoyed her Butterfly Cove series last year and it seems if the formula isn't broken why change things? By this I mean similar to the Butterfly Cove series these new stories will again follow three women, this time close friends rather than sisters, as they navigate the troubles and turmoil’s forced upon them by everyday life as well as seeking some love along the way. Whether they are actively looking for this love or whether it finds them remains to be seen?

Suffice to say this was nice, easy introduction to the series and I thoroughly liked our main character Beth Reynolds. Yes, there was a slight air of inevitability as to how everything would pan out for all involved but the journey to reach that point was pleasant. Spring at Lavender Bay is a very quick read and ideal for those that have a few spare hours and want something to take them away from the stresses of everyday life. It won't tax you in any way or require immense physical concentration as to keep on top of the story. Instead it provides you with a classic romance story with some worries and strains for all involved as the path to true love and happiness is never an easy one to overcome.

Beth has spent three years working in London in a project management company where she slaves away from dawn until dusk at her desk for very little reward or praise. She is overworked and constantly taken for granted by the 'men' in place above her. Any extra work always falls her way and she can't refuse it for fear of being overlooked if a promotion did arise. Clearly Beth has is a hard worker and in being so has let other aspects of her life slide. Most noticeably the romance element or this could be more to do with the fact she had been badly burned by a recent relationship experience which has turned her off love. But there is a very small part of Beth that clings to a glimmer of hope that true love could be out there for her. Either way Beth is reaching a crossroads in her life.

Having left Lavender Bay and her guardian Eleanor, who runs the emporium on the seafront, for London she can barely admit to herself that really she is lonely. She never thought she would miss everyone and although she keeps in close contact through Skype with friends Libby and Eliza it's just not the same. 'Lately she had come to the realisation that she was being used whilst others reaped the rewards. Demotivated and demoralised she was well and truly stuck in a cubicle shaped rut'.

With such a terrible boss, a more or less disappointing job and a single room in a run down house in a city where she feels alienated and lost this was not the future Beth had envisaged for herself when she left the bay. It was all 'such a far cry from the perfect flat, the perfect boyfriend, the perfect life she'd thought she had once. She was so far from her ambitions and expectations, and with no idea how to get out of the rut'. Unfortunately a way out of the hole Beth finds herself in does present itself but really not in the best of circumstances. Eleanor has passed away from a heart attack and Beth is left bereft, her guardian, her rock, her sounding board is now gone and guilt eats away at her that she didn't visit as often as she should have.

Eleanor took the place of her mother when she remarried and moved to America. She became a close confidant and the mother figure she so desperately needed and now that support system is gone for ever. But Eleanor was a clever person who could sense Beth needed motivation, a focus and a new goal. In her will she leaves Beth the emporium, at first little does Beth realise this is exactly what she needs to get her going again. Before she knows it she has quit her job and is back in Lavender Bay. The scene where Beth finally stood up to her boss was brilliant and it came across as if Beth was getting a huge weight off her shoulders ready to start afresh a new period in her life.

The emporium is very much what I would call a huckster shop, where a little bit of everything is sold and you see things you didn't even realise you needed or wanted but are powerless to resist them. The shop may have fallen into slight disrepair and the goods may not be in as keeping with the times but Beth after much indecision decides to give things a go. She wanted to do the same with regards to her friendship with Eliza and Libby. 'It had been so long since the three of them had been together. They'd been drifting apart, not consciously but life had pulled them in different directions. No more though, not if Beth could help it'.

Eliza and Libby are all she has left. Even if Eliza is living away with her husband Martin and Libby is run off her feet in the chip shop she runs with her father. After she made her decision I found the shop took more of a back seat, apart from a major incident near the end. Beth's personal life became centre stage and things seem to happen very fast and I thought there needed to be a little more fleshing out of certain scenarios. After all Beth had been through a lot and shouldn't have just jumped head first into things without thinking things through clearly.

Beth was certainly a character who needed her confidence to grow, for it to be encouraged and nurtured. This came in the form of Eliza's brother, chef Sam Barnes. Like Beth he had big dreams outside of Lavender Bay, he wanted to be a successful chef and had already trained in Paris but his fathers illness called him back to run the family pub. It was evident Sam felt stifled in the pub, that his creative talents around food weren't being stretched but yet he was selfless in that he gave p his dreams and aspirations to help his family when they needed him the most.

I loved Sam as a character, everything about him seemed to true and genuine. He didn't want to hurt anyone and I enjoyed seeing the feelings emerge between himself and Beth. He could see Beth wasn't always in the best of places emotionally and mentally and he provided her with time, care and attention. He offers her love and care but is she willing to accept it? On one hand I would say there was a lot of toing and froing between the pair, so much indecision and uncertainty but on the other elements of their story felt very rushed and it seemed as if some parts of the story were glossed over or as if I had missed out on conversations.

There was actually a significant part to the story where midway Beth receives some news that really throws her. Maybe it was the copy of the book that I was reading but it was as if three or four pages were missing and I kept re-reading thinking hold on why is she talking about this? One minute she is looking at her phone and then the next she is upset but I couldn't work out why, this proved frustrating for me. At other times it seemed the story jumped forward a bit and conversations and events took place and they read as if I had already meant to know about them when in fact I was reading them for the first time. If time is given into the setting up of the book and its setting and the various situations that evolve then surely the same should be expected throughout the entire story.

If I was to split the book into three parts, definitely the first and last third were the strongest. The middle felt a little too dragged out for me and nothing exciting happened before the pace picked up again towards the end. That said as we made our way towards the finish I could see how much I had left to read but thought there is so much more that needs to happen here or needs resolving and how will it all be fitted in? The last few chapters felt very rushed and the book ended quite suddenly when I thought I had a bit more to go. It would be best not to leave everything until the last minute and then pack things in and in turn the reader is left with a sense of abruptness and wanting to wrap things up especially if the reader had enjoyed Beth's story. Everything left me wanting updates from Beth in the next instalment. I know she won't be the sole focus of Summer at Lavender Bay but I hope we will see what happens for her next.

Spring at Lavender Bay didn't blow me away the way the first in the Butterfly Cove series did but still it was a good read despite some of the above mentioned issues I had with it. There was a lovely feeling of camaraderie, love and friendship where the girls would stick with each together through thick and thin and Beth was a character I could identify with and wanted the best possible outcome for. I'll be interested to see what Summer at Lavender Bay has next in store for everyone we have already met.

This book was an absolute delight.

Beth grew up in Lavendar bay with her 2 best friends Eliza and Libby. Eliza, her brother Sam and their parents run the local pub, and Libby and her dad run the local chip shop. Beths dad died and her mum moves to America with her new husband and Beth doesnt want to go and so a local shop owner steps up and says Beth can stay with her instead. Eleanor is the owner of the local Emporium, a brick a brac gift shop on the sea front on Lavendar Bay next door to the pub.

Beth is living and working in London when she gets a call that Eleanor has died and so she goes back to organise her funeral. Beth is shocked to discover that Eleanor has left the shop and flat to Beth, and so Beth decides she is going to have a go at running it herself. In the midst of this she has a bit of a fling with Elizas brother Sam who has been in love with her since they were kids.

I liked this because all of the characters are so different and interesting, Eliza is miserable and stuck in a crappy marriage, Libby is a goth but is a sweet and sensitive soul, and Beth is insecure and unsure of herself.

This is the 1st book of a trilogy and i am assuming the other 2 books are about Eliza and Libby. Im rooting for Eliza to dump her husband and move back to the bay!

Having read previous Butterfly Cove, I found myself bored and finally put the book down. The characters were weak and uninteresting.

This is a good beginning to the new series, Lavender Bay. There are two more books in the works. Three friends, Beth, Eliza and Libby grew up together in the lovely small town and Beth returns to bury the wonderful woman who raised her. Eleanor left Beth Eleanor's Emporium, the small shop that tourist love when they visit the small British beach.. She decides to stay to keep the business open and discovers that Sam is still in town and not married. Torn between selling the property to a developer and returning to London or being happy and exploring her options with Sam she must face the disaster that almost makes the decision a moot point. A light cute romantic story.

Beth is not enjoying her life in London so when her old friend Eleanor, who took her in when her mother left the country, dies she heads straight back to Lavender Bay. To her surprise Eleanor had left her her emporium and the flat above so she decides to stay and try and make a go of it....... but not everyone will be happy with the changes she decides to make...... but there is also the added bonus of hert best friend Eliza's brother Sam..... how can she not have realised before how hot he is!

Another great book by Sarah Bennett, I loved all of her previous Butterfly Cove series, and am really looking forward to the next one in this series

The emporium is the sort of place I could spend hours in! Lavender Bay itself sounds lovely and I’m looking forward to reading more about it in the rest of the series.



Beth and Sam have a certain charisma together and I enjoyed their various trials and tribulations as the story unfolded. I was left wondering about the sub-plot with the property developer, but maybe this is explored more fully in the next in the series. And that’s what is so great about it – not everything is nicely wrapped up, so there’s plenty of scope to revisit Lavender Bay in the future!

Beth is having a rough month: missing her friends back in Lavender Bay, frustrated with work and a dotard for a boss, a depressing bed-sit that takes much of her salary and still wondering how to explain to her absent but very overly critical mother that she’s not got the ‘boyfriend of her mother’s dreams’ after all. And then, the biggest hit: Eleanor, the woman who took her in as a teen and provided her with love, acceptance and security has died, and left her a shop and apartment on the towns promenade. Hating her job, and dreaming just a little bit, she thinks that perhaps she can run the shop and be among friends in the only place that ever felt like home to her, despite disappointing her mother now a charter member of the botox-bridge club in Florida where she lives with her new-ish husband.

Coming home where her best friend Libby is running the Fish & Chip shop with her father, next door to her other best friend Eliza’s parents’ pub, where her brother Sam has stepped in as his father is ill, with plenty of skype time (and several visits from Eliza – now married and living ‘away’, and not really happy) she’s back home with a mountain of decisions to make, and plenty to learn. And when you add Sam into the mix, Eliza’s older brother who always looked out for her, but now is looking out for her and causing all sorts of unsettling feelings – she’s certain he’s only wanting to be a friend, despite the lingering looks and a mad kiss….

Bennett takes readers through the changes for Beth: her fears about being able to run the shop, all she needs to learn, her worries about ‘failing’ and even her moments of utter despair when she discovers her ex is marrying and her mother, never supportive in the best of times, will lose her mind when she learns that Beth wants to stay in Lavender Bay. With a penchant for running when the going gets tough, it takes Sam to drag her back and show her that home, or the home she wants, is in her grasp, and while she mightn’t have the family she hoped for growing up – she has a chance to build her life in ways that she had only dreamed of growing up – if only she’d take it. This was a story that was full of friendship, support, caring and a solid sense of place and home: allowing readers to cheer on Beth, sigh over Sam’s loving care for her, enjoy her friends and yearn for the support that the community brings to one of their own.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=”https://wp.me/p3OmRo-9GB/”> <a> I am, Indeed </a>

This has been my first book by Bennett and I was not disappointed.

A charming story about friendship, small town community and, of course, love.

This is the first book I have read from Sarah Bennett, I really enjoyed it and will be looking for more books by this author.

I enjoyed the friendship between the three women in this story and really liked the community in Lavender Bay. This is a story of lovely friendships, new beginnings, community spirit, goodwill and romance. A delightful story in a lovely setting.
There are laugh out loud moments - the inflatables made me chuckle! Some parts are poignant and heartwarming.

The perfect start to the series, I am looking forward to my return to Lavender Bay when the next book is published.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a lovely book and I must say i'm really enjoying all of Sarah Bennett's books. I'm loving the story and the characters and I must say that it has been perfectly set up for the next part of the series! ow I just have to impatiently wait for part two!

Spring at Lavender Bay is very well written. Loved the plot and characters. I look forward to reading more books in this series. Author is new to me and I enjoyed her writing.