I read this as a standalone but thoroughly enjoyed the story. Hetty is a force of nature and I loved her perpetual optimism. She is surrounded by a vivid cast of characters who supply a fair amount of gentle humour, from the ladies of the Committee, to the stall holders and visitors. John Thornhill's own story is interesting in its own right and his family are all individuals. There are a few echoes in his character of Mr Darcy for me, especially at the start, when he resists changing his mind.

The setting at Swallowtail Bay is gorgeous. You can absolutely visualise it. I would love to visit the Secret Garden up at the Manor. The Strawberry Festival does not disappoint either. I enjoyed all its little details- especially the coconuts which were glued to the shy! Nothing fazes Hetty, it seems, and she takes you with her, every step of the way.

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the book!

This is a such feelgood summer read, with sunshine, strawberries, and a crumbling Manor House. Add a handsome, honourable hero and a heroine who is not afraid to go for what she wants and you have the perfect recipe for a lovely, relaxing read chock full of community and romance. I really enjoyed it.

Event planner Hetty has an idea to reinvigorate the village strawberry festival, which year by year has slowly been declining in numbers and excitement. The only issue is, it is four weeks away and there is nowhere to hold the large event she wants to put together. That is until she convinces John Thornhill, who owns the local manor, to let her use his grounds.

This was a lovely story. I adored Hetty’s ambition and go get ‘em nature. Paired with the broody John, this was perfect.

Hetty Colman is a character you are going to immediately fall in love with. Her confidence exudes out of the book from the very first page and her passion was truly inspiring. She was a woman who refused to be told “no” and when she wanted something, nothing or nobody could stop her from achieving that. As an event planner, her organisational skills had to be near-perfection and it was clear as day, this came naturally to our leading lady, along with graceful problem solving. A lot of difficult situations she had to deal with, lead to me giggling away and made me realise how unprofessional I still am, as I would have not been able to keep it together. Speaking of keeping it together, whilst Hettie is one organised lady, that doesn’t mean that she doesn’t have bumps along the way and find herself overwhelmed with more than she had bargained for. Not only was she trying to organise Swallowtail Bay’s biggest festival – she also had to deal with the oh so grumpy, John Thornhill, who refused to partake in something spectacular AND the spark between her parents was dimming fast!

John Thornhill is definitely a man that you will either love, hate or both! At least to begin with. We meet him in a very flustered and stressed state, quite dismissive towards Hetty without giving her a second to speak and luckily, as the story begins to flow, we learn more about him and why he behaves the way he does. Hetty captured John’s heart, as quickly as she captured my own and I was very amused at how quickly she managed to persuade him to become her business partner. Boss ladies usually do tend to have that affect on people. He is quite the opposite of Hetty, in which he lacks confidence and can be awkward in certain situations – personally, I found it sweet and endearing, as he wasn’t expecting Hetty to be the feisty woman she is. Gradually witnessing him come out of his shell and face his own problems was such a pleasure and Hetty really did have a lot to do with that – she was a blessing to him and his family! He really was an absolute sweetheart when he let his true personality take a step in the spotlight and I was rooting for him all the way to the end!

I had so much fun getting to follow Hetty and John on their journey to creating the festival that was going to put Swallowtail Bay back on the maps, even if that did mean reuniting with some rather unpleasant people. The passion and ideas that bounced between one another always had me with a smile on my face and let’s just say, I was a big cheerleader throughout in hoping that everything was a success. Like any large event, nothing ever runs smoothly and there was most certainly some hiccups that occurred – some larger than others – keeping you on the edge of your seat, but Hetty and John handled them like pro’s. It was really lovely to see what food stalls were contributing to the event, along with the fair ground, especially with reappearances popping up from the main three ladies in the first book of the series, Stella, Raina and Lexi. It felt like you were returning home and reuniting with friends!

Summer Strawberries at Swallowtail Bay is all about friendship, partnership, community, heartbreak, and following your dreams. You will come away from this book feeling inspired and filled with hope, so as per usual, Katie has smashed it again with this gorgeous story and I can’t wait to get my hands on the third and final book already!

Thank you to Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources for my invitation to the tour and for my copy of the book in return for a fair and honest review.

I really needed this book, it’s a summery delight. The story starts with Hetty, who is a events organiser and lives in Swallowtail Bay, she is fed up with children’s parties and wants a new challenge. So she finds herself agreeing to resurrect an old village custom The Strawberry Festival and make it last across a whole weekend as a grand food festival.

I liked how the village comes together to try to do this but first can persuade the local landowner and manor owner John Thornhill of Thornhill Hall to let them hold the festival there. Rumours are rife that Thornfield Hall is in trouble and John has to try and save the family home which he is battling with his Mother and Brother to find ways to do.

Can Hetty help ?

I always enjoy book set around an old house and this book is lovely, the sense of place and people are joyful and this is the perfect read for these times. This was my first Katie Ginger novel but I will definitely checking out more as this one made me smile and feel very calm.

I really enjoyed this lovely story. How can you not just love Hetty and her strong minded determined self to make things happen? I love quaint little beach towns and this one and it’s fabulous festival was a perfect escape for me. John , the lord of the manor, was a fabulous romantic interest and with the love that both he and Hetty have for their own families was heartwarming. Now go ahead and download this!!! Sit with a cuppa and enjoy!

Summer strawberries at swallow tail Bay by Katie Ginger
what can I say I love this book from the very first words on the page to the last page it had me hooked great so easy to follow so easy to read the characters are great Hetty is the main character she is very confident young lady 38 years old very confident very bubbly she's got a plan in mind and was going to do this plan the other main character he is a son of the owner of Thornhill Hall they decide to have the strawberry summer festival there which is great fun this book takes you with then all the plan in all the excitement did you hear about all the stores it's lovely really engaged in the story had me hooked few little twisty bits I'll sort of say that got me gripped wanted to find out what happened it went into the history as well as Thorpe Hall but not too in debt i really enjoyed it The writing style so easy to follow fast pace short chapters wonderful characters I love them all I really enjoyed it a wonderful book I'd recommend this to everybody five stars from me will you read more in the swallowtail Bay adventure

I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. You can get your copy here https://www.amazon.com/Summer-Strawberries-Swallowtail-Bay-heartwarming-ebook/dp/B084KV7CM1/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Summer+Strawberries+at+Swallowtail+Bay+by+Katie+Ginger&qid=1593692397&sr=8-1
This is the second book in the Swallowtail Bay series. We begin this book with twin brothers , Hector and Lucas at their birthday party with Hetty the event planner admiring her work. She managed to pull the entire party off in a week! Can you imagine getting all the things together for a party AND getting people to SHOW UP? Did I also mention that this was a superhero party, complete with costumed characters? The book then takes us to the monthly meeting of the Swallowtail Bay business forum where the first order of business is the Strawberry festival. This festival used to be quite the highlight. Hetty decides this is the perfect opportunity to expand her business, to revamp the festival! Four weeks to pull this off and then she suggests using Thornhill Hall for the location. This is owned by the Thornhill family and a private estate, not normally open to the public, but the estate has fallen on some hard times and is in need of cash flow. Hetty makes an offer that John has quite the difficulty in denying, but he does. Hetty is persistent, if nothing else. When she maps out everything and shows it to him, he does cave, considering his dire straits. John and Hetty set off in an adventure to procure food vendors for the event. The festival committee was so thrilled with Hetty's progress. Everything is all fun and games until the day of the event and disaster strikes. Is it a disaster if something good comes from it? They turn a complete downpour into a future of fun. To say anymore would give the entire book away! This book would make GREAT TV with the conflicts!

I found this to be a cute read, that was easy to pick up and put down. Ideal for a holiday read on the lounger by the pool.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review

#SummerStrawberriesAtSwallowtailBay#NetGalley
This opens with Betty N event planned in SwallowtaIl Bay..She is trying to revive the strawberry festival.. She really needs the help of John Thornhill a local landowner.Betty asks John for the use of one of the fields to hold the event. John refuses thinking it will create problems and he doesn't want to be involved. Betty keeps trying and finally gets John to agree.. As John gets more involved he suggests making the event bigger. As time goes by Betty and John become closer. Will they become more than friends ? As the p!manning continues and John feels drawn to Hettywill she leave herself vulnerable to care again ? Enjoy the ups and downs and happy times of the story. Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to read and review this book.

This was the 2nd book in the Swallowtail Bay series and can be read as a stand-alone (which I did). Now I want to read the first one!
This was such a cute #romcom and light read. It’s about an event planner, Hetty, who wants to bring back to life the town’s annual strawberry festival and boost her career. However, there’s only 4 weeks until the event and nowhere to hold it. Unless she can get the elusive John Thornhill to use his family’s crumbling estate. What’s a girl to do? Hetty is charming and witty and such a boss lady. But she’s also struggling with some family drama of her own. Check it out!

I received a copy of this book for my honest review. All opinions are my own

Although this makes for a great summer read, it would be lovely to curl up on a cold winters night and think of everything summer can hold. It was nice to see some of the characters from the first book appear in this one. I felt as though I was in the middle of Swallowtail Bay playing my part in this read-easy novel and I enjoyed that feeling. I recommend everyone reads and enjoys this book giving it 5 stars. Well done Kate, I am looking forward to your next novel.

Hetty runs a small party planning business and when she comes up with the idea of bringing back the Strawberry Festival in Swallowtail Bay it looks like she has a fight on her hands. The only place big enough and available to hold the huge event she has in mind are the fields attached to Thornhill Hall, the rundown hall above the town. The man who runs the hall is son and heir, John Thornhill and he is not interested in holding the event on his family’s land. Hetty isn’t one to give up easily and despite John’s continued refusal wears him down and persuades him that not only will the festival be good for the townsfolk but sharing the proceeds with his family will bring in much needed funds to help with repairs at the hall.

I loved Hetty, she’s a strong, determined woman who doesn’t let much get in her way when she makes her mind up. She slowly realises that the scowling John Thornhill is rather attractive when he smiles and even when her gorgeous baker ex, Ben returns determined to win her back, she finds it difficult to push John from her mind. John is gorgeous and reminded me very much of one of my favourite TV heroes, John Thornton (played so perfectly by Richard Armitage). John has to cope with his ambitious brother, Felix, his mother who, thanks to his father losing all their money in an unwise investment is now embarrassed to face the locals, and his father who spends all his time keeping away from people in his garden.

Summer Strawberries at Swallowtail Bay is part of the Swallowtail Bay series. I hadn’t read any of the other books though, but it wasn’t necessary as this one works well as a standalone. This is a fast-paced, well-written, fun-filled story with a determined heroine and a gorgeous hero, what’s not to love? Thanks to HQ Digital for an ARC copy in return for an honest review.

Summer Strawberries at Swallowtail Bay was a cute and charming summer read. The characters were well developed and relatable. The downside was that the plot was a bit predictable.

The cover art makes me feel so hungry. Isn’t it just gorgeous?!

The novel describes how Hetty, an event organizer, decides to revive the Swallowtail Bay Strawberry Festival and turn it into a major food festival, complete with a funfair. The biggest stumbling block — she has only 4 weeks to set it up and needs to convince the reclusive John Thornhill to allow her to use part of the grounds around Thornhill Hall.

The scene where Hetty tries to meet John, get past her assistant Jaz, and convince him to say yes–in just 5 minutes–is highly entertaining.

Hetty’s ability to remain cool under pressure and her conflict-resolution skills impressed me. Single-handedly, she solves quite a few problems that crop up at the food festival including a woman getting stuck in a portable toilet and a child getting lost in the funhouse. Even the way she takes her time to figure out if she wants to get back with her ex-boyfriend, Ben, is commendable. Her financial acumen and organizational skills ensures that she has all the details of the food festival planned in advance.

John is a bit of an enigma in the beginning, but we see him thaw as he spends more time with Hetty. He comes across as a restrained personality (possibly due to the gossip mongering about his family’s financial troubles), but is empathetic and even fun-loving once you can get past his cold exterior. I found it funny how his beard was an important talking point — Jaz makes use of it a few times and Hetty can’t decide if she likes it or not. 🙂

Summer Strawberries at Swallowtail Bay is a lovely, feel-good story about taking risks, cherishing relationships, and giving it your all once you’ve taken that first step.

Thank you to the author and Rachel for my review copy!

As part of the Swallowtail Bay series, this is a standalone book which is the perfect summer read.

When we first meet Hetty, and her assistant Macie they are wrangling children at a birthday party, and it’s clear that Hetty is a genius at organising events, and troubleshooting issues! When she decides to revive a traditional Strawberry Festival, reminiscent of her childhood in Swallowtail Bay, it’s clear that she will take everything in her stride. I found that I instantly warmed to Hetty who is so capable and confident in her own abilities. Her sometimes ditzy assistant Macie provided the perfect sidekick for her.

When it comes to love with Hetty, life was not so simple or so easily resolved. Just as she meets the lord of the manor, John Thornhill, whose family’s financial situation leads him to agree to provide the location for the festival, her ex Ben comes back into her life too, and this is where I have a terrible confession to make. Ben could have been the most handsome man in the entire fictional world, but I honestly did not notice him for one reason, and one reason only. For the entirety of the book, John Thornhill gave me such strong Richard Armitage (in the role of John Thornton in North and South) vibes, that I fell hopelessly for him! It’s tricky when a real life obsession turns into fictional perfection, and perfection John Thornhill was, grumpy, brooding, slightly misunderstood, caring, thoughtful and incredibly sexy! Step out of the way all of my previous book boyfriends, I have a new one now!

Romance aside, and no spoilers from me about that, I loved the way the festival came together. It really felt very real, and incredibly traditional, with the fairground and the many different food stalls, and an open air movie night. I loved the glimpses of characters I met in the previous book, but as I have said, it is a standalone book, so although it’s nice to see familiar faces, it would not be at all detrimental to read it and not know them. As to be expected with the open air event, things do not always run smoothly, but between Hetty and John they manage to work together to sort things out for the benefit of everyone.

I really loved the fictional location of Swallowtail Bay, and this book made me want to hop in the car and drive in search of it, or somewhere just like it, and not just because of John! Joking aside, this is such a wonderful summery read, that will have you craving strawberries, at the very least!

This novel follows the story of Hetty, an event planner in the small town of Swallowtail Bay. She takes on this opportunity to revamp the town’s Strawberry Festival. But to be successful in her revamp, she’ll need the help of John Thornhill.

I haven’t read the first book of the series but I don’t think that was necessary to be able to understand this one, as it could be read as a standalone. I thought this was a very light, rom com read that was great for summer. I loved Hetty’s character and watching her plan the events was very interesting and something that I enjoyed. It was a great little escape that I enjoyed reading and I look forward to picking up the first book of the series soon.

This book was everything I needed it to be and more....fresh, full of fun with a food festival that dreams are made from. The story pulled me in from the opening moments and I was instantly invested in Hetty as a leading lady. Her likeability and undeterred determination shone off the pages and made this whole book a truly joyful experience.



On being swept away by the narrative I was thrown head first into a flurry of anticipation, suspense and excitement as the build up to the food festival got underway. From the setting to the cast of characters, everything was pitch perfect for my liking. I mean we had not one, but two rival love interests for our Hetty (what a treat) and the romantic tension was lifting off the pages to say the least.



As far as food festivals go, I can certainly say that I experienced a huge does of FOMO for sure. The delights and delicacies were mouth watering and I swear I could taste Ben's olive and tomato bread....or maybe that was sheer wishful thinking on my part?



Summer Strawberries at Swallowtail Bay will whisk you away on a sweet adventure of delights that will satisfy your taste buds and warm your heart.

Fab read, the story of Hetty who has taken on the job of reviving the Strawberry Festival. To do so, she needs John Thornhill to agree to let her use the land on his family estate. Can she make the festival a sucess and will thing progress with John or will her ex Ben win her back?

A great summer read.

Over this latest heat wave, I curled myself into my favourite reading chair, and with a deliciously cold drink at my side I became quite lost in the magic of Swallowtail Bay. It doesn't matter if you haven't read the previous story in this series as both books can be read as standalones stories and Summer Strawberries is a wonderful continuation about the townsfolk of Swallowtail Bay.

From the start I absolutely loved Hetty, she's an entirely capable woman who organises everything superbly well. She's also one of those gifted events organisers who you would really like to have on speed dial, as she can magic up a party at the drop of a hat. And yet, good though she is at her job, Hetty now needs something more challenging than creating superhero themed wrestling parties, and that's when she decides to resurrect the annual Strawberry Festival at Swallowtail Bay which has been lingering in the doldrums for far too many years. However, for it to go ahead properly, she really needs to enlist the help of John Thornhill, a local landowner, whose belligerent family also own the local stately home.

What then follows is a delightful rom-com which has all the right ingredients for a scrumptious summer read. The author brings such warmth and wit to her characters that you really want to spend time with them. I especially enjoyed reading of Hetty's preparations as she goes about organising such a huge summer event, which she does, of course, with great good humour. Her relationship with John Thornhill is beautifully explored and their shared differences only heightens their burgeoning relationship. Whilst there is a bit of will they, won't they romance, it's not all hearts, flowers and roses round the door, as both Hetty and John have other significant worries going on in the background, I thought that John's concerns about his family were particularly well handled.

Summer Strawberries at Swallowtail Bay is a beautifully written rom-com about the joy of living in a small community where loyalty, love and friendship are so very important. I devoured the story in one sitting, stopping just for brief moments to top up my refreshments....and maybe a bowl of summer strawberries was also consumed as I spent a happy afternoon at Swallowtail Bay. 😉