Starting with a family tragedy, you immediately feel empathy with the woman suffering a cataclysmic loss. Fast forward to 2018 and we meet Sam, whose point of view this story is told from, and a widow after that terrible night in 2010. She is existing rather than living, with one good friend, who even though she understands still keep putting eligible men in her path. Happy, if you can call it that,with her demanding career and her cat coco, you really want her to find true happiness again.

After many failures, she gains the opportunity to further her career, with a job in Boston, for three months, she decides to go, and it is the beginning of a new chapter in her life. The secondment does not go to plan and in need of some R&R, she takes a ferry trip to Cape Cod, whose small town charm melts her heart and leaves her open to friendship at least.

The setting is lovely, New England always brings charm and character, to a romantic story, as is the case here. The romance with Ethan, someone who is also hurting, is conflict ridden and gentle. It is believable, because the passion is low key and both are wary of laying their hearts open to hurt. The friendship with Barney and Harry is also noteworthy, it shows Sam what true friendship can be. The pacing is good and the cast of characters and emotion in the story realistic.

Angst, emotion and romance are beautifully intertwined in this gentle second chance love story, unfolding in a lovely coastal setting,

I received a copy of this book from HQ Digital via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Hopeful, poignant and immensely enjoyable, A Summer to Remember is a heart-warming, emotional and uplifting contemporary tale from Victoria Cooke’s immensely talented pen.

The bottom had fallen out of Sam’s world after the tragic passing of her beloved husband. Despite friends and family telling her that the time has come for her to move on, Sam is determined to stay single and not to let herself be pressured into starting a new relationship. After all, when you lose the love of your life, one has no interest in finding a second-rate substitute and instead Sam has built a new life for herself surrounded by her loving family and friends. With a thriving career and a cat, Sam does not want or need anyone else in her life, but then fate has a funny habit of giving you the one thing you never expected as she finds out one memorable summer…

When she is seconded to her firm’s Boston’s office, Sam finds herself packing her bags and looking forward to this terrific new adventure. When she is in Boston, she decides to visit Cape Cod and its idyllic beaches, little realizing that her entire life is going to be turned upside down as finds herself enjoying a summer she will always remember.

Will happiness be within Sam’s grasp again? Will she ever feel the rush of falling in love a second time? Or will she go back to her old life and continue to merely go through the motions without enjoying life as she should?

A lovely read that touches the heart and moves the soul, A Summer to Remember is a terrific tale of second chances and fresh starts written with depth, sensitivity and charm which I struggled to put down. Victoria Cooke is a brilliant storyteller who pens stories you simply cannot stop reading and A Summer to Remember is certainly no exception.

Written straight from the heart, A Summer to Remember is another outstanding read from the always terrific Victoria Cooke.

A Summer To Remember was heartwarming romance that revolved around Sam who lost her husband in accident 8 years ago, who got opportunity to finds love and happiness once again in life. It was about second chance at love, getting over grief, and moving on in life.

Characters-

Sam was in her late 30s, passionate and enthusiastic career girl. Her feelings and fear were genuine and realistic. While she was living life, making some amazing friends and doing her dream job she was good at, she didn’t allow anyone to support her, cope with grief and kept pushing her loved ones away. I’m glad she felt change in feelings and emotions on meeting Ethan who made her realize she need her family and love back in life. Her development was gradual.

Ethan was great throughout the book. At first he was jerk and grumpy but as he and Sam met more I could see his soft side. He gone through pretty same as Sam but he was better with his emotions than Sam because of family and friends support. There was more to him and I liked the way he changed Sam’s life and view.

I loved Barney and Harry. This couple brought fun and light in both Sam and Ethan’s deflated life with their cheerful nature and parties. They were supportive, understanding and lovable. I cannot imagine book without these two.

What I Liked-

First thing, just look at the cover. Isn’t it calling to take it out on beach, relax and read? I loved that cover. I can buy it just looking at it.

I’m getting used to author’s writing. This is my 4th book by Victoria Cooke and I guess I will read anything by her. Writing was smooth with beautiful narration, sweet romance and picturesque setting made it aesthetically pleasing. But it’s not just romance here. I didn’t expect the depth to it. Story was told from Sam’s perspective which made feel more close to her than any other characters.

Books started with Sam finally getting her dream chance to work in US office for 3 months, summer she didn’t expect to change her life. A summer she will remember all her life and might be part of her life. She was happy being single, good at her job, living life and even enjoying it without love and men. When she started spending her weekends on the beautiful beaches of Cape Cod, her self-imposed perseverance started to falter. She got attached to this small town, new friends and dashing Ethan. Was it just attraction or she is falling in love? Can she give closure to her grief? Will it be just a summer fling for Sam or she will give another chance to love and her life?

We see glimpse of Sam’s past, how she met Kev, the day of their marriage, fallout with her parents and the day of accident intermittently. We hear about Ethan’s loss, his struggle and how he managed to live after his loss. Both of their story and feeling were touching. I wanted to reach out to them and give them hug and also a good shake so that they could move on in life.

Emotions were the strength of the book. Both characters felt loss and grief. Both reacted to it differently and both spent long time being faithful to their loved ones, living in their memory and going along with life. I could understand Sam’s feelings and reasons up to some extent but I also felt she was being unfair to her parents and Ethan, even to the memories of Kev. The moments they spent together was so romantic, spellbinding, and heartwarming. I loved every bit of it.

At 50% story was like wrapped-up. Feelings and their life-story shared, both characters knew each other better, both realized they feel connected and have more deep relationship than just friendship, knew each other family and friends… what can be more to it? Sure if Sam agreed to move on there will be end of the story right then and there. So I was clueless what to expect next. All the second half was uncertain and emotional. Turns in the story were placed just right making it interesting and gripping.

My favorite fun and lovely moments in the book were, Sam at wedding in the beginning (those clues for guests to find their table was fun), meeting Harry and Barney for the first time, meeting Lexi, a date (so romantic), and those eight Christmas presents and the way she presented them for each year (it was so heart-melting, I actually shed some happy tears).

Climax was surprising. Things took unexpected turn. But it quickly turned in right direction. Honestly I expected it to be bot more dramatic but I guess one blow was enough and Sam might not wanted to ruin the chance. Anyway it was lovely to see their happily-ever-after end.

Overall, it was beautiful, heartwarming summery romance with wonderful setting and depth. I highly recommend this book.

Favorite Quotes:

I try to ignore the fact he’s incredibly attractive, because beauty comes from within, and there’s a gargoyle residing inside him.

It’s as though his mother went to the gene-pool buffet when she was making him and had first dibs on all the good stuff.

‘You stand here.’ Absentmindedly, I place my hands on his shoulders to manoeuvre him, and the shock of their firmness and sheer size jolts me and I almost recoil. Touching a man is such uncharted territory for me. It’s been such a long time that I feel like I’ve reached out and grabbed a forbidden sculpture at the Louvre or something.

As much as I’d like to stay here forever, England is my home. I can’t just emigrate at the drop of a hat. Besides, don’t you need the blood of a fairy godmother, half a shooting star and the wispy hair of five baby pixies just to get a green card to live here in the States?

It can take people a lifetime to figure out what makes them happy. At least you’ve figured it out while your jowls are tight and you don’t have cataracts.

My Review:

I enjoyed Ms. Cooke’s wry wit and clever humor as well as many of her secondary characters and story threads, although I waffled in my opinion and enjoyment of this book during perusal as the main character of Samantha wasn’t as endearing to me as I would have preferred; I struggled with her selfishness and deceit. I was increasingly impatient for her to gain some self-awareness and pull on her big girl panties and was more than exasperated with her immature and avoidant behaviors by the time her epiphany finally came. But this is but one of my personal pet peeves; I probably need a trigger warning for extended angst.

Two heart broken people who believe they have found their soul mates, only to tragically lose them, and have decided that life alone, without a live in love, is to be their fate. They are each OK with that.
Sam has thrown herself into her work and has her eye on the coveted prize of a three month assignment in the states working on a major PR project. Year after year she is rejected for this team but she never gives up. When she finally achieves her dream, she finds herself assigned the role of girl Friday, fetching coffee and doughnuts. She feels invisible and frustrated.
Ethan was always a family man, loyal and kind, and doing what he believed was right. So why did this English woman, who keeps turning up in his life, uninvited, irritate him so much?
This novel will grab you by the heart and make you feel warm and fuzzy. The characters feel so real and the situations are equally sad and funny. The writing flows smoothly and once you begin, you find yourself looking forward to beachy weekends and new friendships.
Don't expect things to end all sweet and pretty within the three month parameters of Sam's dream job. Life doesn't work that way.
This is a novel about healing and forgiveness and finding oneself and ones potential, both in work and in love.

A lovely story that sweeps you along through the transition of the darkness of grief that Sam is experiencing and the light that starts to creep back in as she makes new friends and starts to find happiness again.

I loved this book from the first few pages, this book was brimming with characters and their wide variety of personalities. I loved the exuberance of Barney & Harry and how the story of Ethan unfolded.

Victoria Cooke is quickly becoming a goto author for me whose books I always enjoy with the right balance of emotion and happiness. I can't wait to see what she releases next as I loved this book and the scenes and characters she creates that make it so easy to visualise the story as it unfolds.

Sam is a young widow who is making a new life in marketing and advertising for herself despite her grief. She's also making good progress at work but wants to have the opportunity so many of her male colleagues have already had to be seconded to her firm's Boston office for the summer. When she's successful, she really wasn't anticipating being largely ignored and sent to get coffees for the other member of the team - who are all male. She's made to feel like a square peg in a round hole. Even going for a walk she's shocked when the man she politely asks to take a photograph of her angrily refuses. Distraught and dismayed by her life in Boston, she decides to make the most of the weekend without work and goes to visit Cape Cod, little realising just how life changing this will prove to be.....

This story may be about a summer to remember but it is definitely a story to remember! It is an engaging story about love, respect, grief, friendship, family and second chances. I'm trying not to give spoilers away but have to say the first new friends she makes on Cape Cod are a fantastic couple, everyone could benefit from folks like them in their lives! It isn't just a second chance romance for Sam and there are plenty of surprise revelations as the story progresses. It is a heartwarming romance with great characters, plenty of twists and turns and lots of love. It is a story of emotional healing, being brave, reconciliation, determination and being your best as well as opening yourself up to love. I have no hesitation in highly recommending it to anyone who enjoys contemporary romances.

I requested and was gifted a copy of this book and this is my honest review after choosing to read it and thoroughly enjoying doing so! I'll certainly be looking out for more by this author in future.

Having read previous books I was eager to read this one but managed to save it until I was on my sun lounger soaking up rays
What can I say I read it in one sitting. I loved the story between Sam and Ethan and felt the emotions and turmoil that each one went through to rind their happy ever after was well written and described perfectly
The story had me hooked from the beginning and kept the interest going through to the last page
Would definitely recommend

This is probably my last Summer Blog Tour for the year, so why not end on a good one!! Now the weather’s turning colder, what better way to warm your heart by looking at this wonderful cover with its sunny skies and blue sea! This story follows Sam who tragically lost her husband some years before. Happy to be on her own, Sam has rebuilt her life around her friends, her job and her cat. When she is offered a placement to Boston for the summer, she meets gorgeous Ethan who makes her wonder if she really is happy being on her own.

What a lovely story this was! I loved Sam’s character and her story of how she tragically lost her husband in a car accident really pulled at my heartstrings. She obviously had a really hard time coming to terms with her loss, and while she rebuilt her life, she never wanted anyone to replace her beloved husband, Kev. Her grief and recovery was so well portrayed and you could see how much it had encompassed her over the last few years. It was obvious that the relocation to Boston was the best thing for her!

The descriptions of Boston in the summer was amazing and the author certainly made sure I had to add it to my list of places I must go to!! Sam’s first impression of it wasn’t quite the same as mine, but as she begins to meet the right people, she begins to fall in love with the place! It’s obvious that there is going to be a romance in this story, and it’s also pretty obvious who it’s going to be, but the course of true love never runs smoothly particularly when the two characters still have a lot of emotional baggage to deal with.

This wasn’t the typical chick-lit story that I first thought it would be. It has parts of a light-hearted summer romance, but it also deals with a lot more other emotions, such as Sam’s grief. The storyline is sad and emotional, yet with a big dose of new starts and learning to let go! The writing was genuine and the characters likeable and realistic. A wonderful read, not just for the summer but for any time of the year!

Although the book starts out quite sad with Sam having lost her husband, we quickly move on to how she’s doing like 8 years after his death. She’s moved to London from her sleepy hometown, found new friends, gotten a cat and is in her dream job.
The only problem is her world is starting to change and she’s finally got the opportunity to go to America for the summer as part of a work exchange program. While she’s there she discovers new friends and finds a new joy in life that leaves her worrying about other factors. While this sounds all well and good, she needs to go home and that makes it emotionally gripping.
I found myself constantly asking “what if?” to everything. All her decisions, all the talks, all the backtracking. Everything.
Although the ending didn’t have a certain fact I was certain would be there, it was amazing as well. I found myself impressed that Victoria held back from adding that one little thing in the happily ever after, unlike so many authors. By doing that it made it feel much more inclusive and real to me.
That real element of her storytelling is something that was woven throughout, but that I hadn’t realised until I got right to the end. I love it and I hope she continues to bring it into her writing.

The story of Sam, a young widow, who gets a second chance at happiness in Boston when she travels there for work.

She makes some entertaining new friends in Provincetown, Cape Cod, and also meets Ethan. He lost his wife and is still not ready to meet anyone else. They have a connection but will they give each other a chance, especially as Sam knows she has to return home to the UK.

A great read.

Lovely feel good read. It was well written and flowed well. I enjoyed it very much. The plot was good and interesting. Hard to put down

I wasn't as fond of this book as I wished, mostly because I wasn't fond of either of the main characters. Sam is still in mourning, which I can understand, but I wish she would go to therapy as she blows up at her friend when the friend offers her a plus one to the wedding. Sam also chases down a man to yell at him when he refuses to take her picture once she lands in Boston. Sam seems unhinged and rude.

The stranger she yells at is named Ethan and Sam keeps running into him while she's in the States. Ethan keeps acting short and obnoxious to her...but Sam continues to socialize with him. Honestly, I couldn't find their relationship endearing because they were exhausting to read about.

That being said, I seem to be in the minority with that feeling, which is probably a good thing. The rest of the characters were delightful, the setting was beautiful and full points for Sam having normal and healthy friendships. The writing was cohesive and the book was easy to read without any plot holes or confusing aspects. It is the perfect book to read over the summer or even during a cozy fall night as Cooke creates a fantastic atmosphere.

While not for me, I can see others really enjoying this book.

This was a wonderful, funny, emotional, heart warming story. I was hooked from the first page. I enjoyed going along with Sam for the summer and meeting Barney and Harry, and then especially Ethan. The author’s descriptions of the location were fabulous.
Many thanks to HQ Digital and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Wow wow wow! What an emotional ride. This book has a main character you will love, building a life for herself after tragedy. It is beautifully well written

The first page is full of emotion and the story just erupts from there.
This book is written beautifully
The cover is beautiful
The characters are full of depth and engaging
A wonderful summer read

What a great book to read this summer! A Summer to Remember follows Sam, a Brit who heads to Boston for the summer with her job. On a weekend off she visits Cape Cod and meets many locals including Ethan, a fellow widow. It floats between the past and present as Sam remembers her life with her late husband. I know I like a book when I want to reach in and shake the character and tell her to stop being stubborn! But don't worry, there's the perfect happy ending. I also loved how Cooke brought Cape Cod to life through her words. As I read this by the pool, I can confirm it's the perfect beach read as well.

Thank you to HQ Digital and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Loved! I enjoyed following Sam's story as she navigates life as a widow and makes an international move. The author carefully throws in flashbacks to better understand what Sam is going through. A nice quick summer read.

Thank you to #Netgalley

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. What a great summer feel good, its funny, romantic and I read it in one sitting (albeit on the beach with a cool cold drink)

A Summer to Remember is a heartwarming story of how life goes on after the loss of a loved one. It has taken Sam eight years to meet someone she really likes, after the loss of her husband. The storyline is sweet and all the characters are so likable. Highly recommend this book!