The Never-Ending Summer by Emma Kennedy Pub Date 15/4/2021
This is the story of Beatrice, Agnes and Florence discovering themselves in the summer of 1971.
Agnes and Bea are best friends. Their friendship is solid and energetic. Now 20, they have finished secretarial school and do not want to work in an office; they want to have some fun before 'real life' intrudes. Uncharacteristically, they plan in secret a trip to London to explore who they are and who they could be. There is also the little matter of losing their virginity!
Agnes prim and proper mother, Florence, feeling unwanted, asks husband William to take her on holiday to Europe; when he refuses, she sets off alone. How will William cope with tradition broken?
When Agnes returns, she does so with big ideas and makes some significant decisions. But when her mom returns from Italy, she is a strong, independent woman with her own changes to make.
I felt genuine compassion for the three and William when his emotional deficiencies and how others perceive him is explained.
This story deals with growing up, patriarchy, feminism, individuality, and family issues.
The theme will appeal to all age groups with a coming of age story intertwined with a mid-life crisis. It's never too late to be true to yourself, to be who you want to be, to reach your full potential, no matter your age.
I want to thank NetGalley, Random House UK, Cornerstone author Emma Kennedy for a pre-publication copy to review.

Set in the early 1970's, in Cambridge we meet a family in a rut. They are functioning but not living.

Both Florence, the downtrodden housewife, and mother, and Agnes, her daughter follow their newfound

hopes and dreams to build a better future, They seek solutions at home and abroad to improve their tedious

lives.

Everyone wants a richer more fulfilling life, but our two heroines actually try to make a change..

This story is realistic albeit, optimistic read.. A well-written book, We all need to search for our best

opportunities..

I absolutely loved this funny, moving novel set in the early 1970’s which is full of glorious characters. Agnes and Bea have just finished secretarial college and are desperate for their real lives to start. Agnes’s mother, Florence is bored of her loveless marriage and trudges through her days enduring the same routine. All these women decide to take action after reading The Female Eunuch and begin journeys into the unknown.
The novel does an amazing job of providing the reader with a real sense of the social changes happening at this time. The unfolding of the storyline and characters within it is captivating, and I found myself championing their choices and need for change. As well as showing the struggle of women trying to breakout of their expected roles, there are characters who have well and truly done that already and are happy to challenge stereotypes. A fantastic read.

The Never-Ending Summer is set in 70s England. We meet Agnes and Bea as they finish secretarial school and decide to embark on an adventure to London. Then there's Florence, Agnes' mother, a housewife that feels like her life has become too mundane and routine. So she decides on a whim to leave her husband and follow her heart to Europe.

Told from both Agnes and Florence's perspectives, I enjoyed the book's different setting - it isn't often I read a book set in the 70s. However, I would have loved more character depth. It felt like the book only scratched the surface of both of their stories. Overall, I'd recommend this book only if you want to read something set in a different era.

Thank you to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for the ARC - all opinions are my own.

I adored this. It was not what I expected from the blurb. It completely transferred me to a different time and place. Thoroughly enjoyed this wonderful book.

The Never-Ending Summer a much awaited escape from the never-ending lockdown.....a really lovely book written by an exceptional writer, I thoroughly enjoyed every page turned. Agnes and Bea are finding their way in my era, it was a nostalgic wander down remembrance of times past,. I was at that particular festival (we in the west country called it Pilton Pop Festival for the first few years) and had a lovely time, I do remember naked people who bathed in the river but being a little more prudish I didn’t join them. I have also been through Florence’s dilemma when my youngest left home for university, but didn’t leave home, just cried a lot! So all in all a very pleasant trip down memory lane led by an accomplished writer who I will be reading again.. Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

Beautifully written with characters that were both funny and moving. A thought-provoking and captivating read. I loved it!

The was a great read, not what I was expecting. It's set in 1970/71 which wasn't stated in the actual story but was a nice surprise. I felt taken back in time! The story of Florence and her daughter's Agnes and Eleanor leading very different lives was engaging and relateable.

Agnes decides that she needs to break free from her parents expectations and leave the mundane path leading to a secretarial job. She was destined for university but glandular fever stole that dream from her. Bea, her best friend thinks of way to run away to London and experience new things. They tell their parents they're traveling to Europe with friends.

Florence feels lost without Agnes to mother. Her eldest daughter, Eleanor has left home and is an established artist, who is happily married to Charlie. Florence reflects on her own life and dull marriage and decides it's time she lived the life she wants!

Florence surprised me with her antics and independence. Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this title.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book it’s a bit different & and an interesting read. The book is set in the 1970’s when feminism is changing women’s lives.
The story centres around Agnes, Bea & Florence who is the mother of Agnes .
The very naive 20 year old girls Agnes & Bea are so desperate to escape the shackles of home life & change their ordinary rural lives forever.
They have just finished secretarial college but that is the last thing they want to do with their lives. They plan a secret trip to London & top of their list is to lose their virginity.
It’s all about trying to find out who they are & what they want out of life.
Unfortunately our intrepid duo are so green about most things.
Meanwhile Florence Agnes’s mother is feeling unloved & taken for granted by her husband William who doesn’t interact with her.
She has always followed the traditions of a stay at home housewife so finds it hard to start making changes in her life.
It is a story about women changing their lives & getting more control of their futures.
All boundaries are challenged & it is a thought provoking touching read with some funny moments. Good read

This is a brilliant exploration of female friendship and coming-of-age at a time when women were finally gaining their freedom!
The story opens in 1971 with 20-year-old Agnes Ledbury arriving in London with her best friend, Bea, They're looking for adventure, love and sex – and not necessarily in that order!
A series of escapades follow as Agnes and Bea take on various temp jobs that include leafleting for the feminist cause in London’s underground and acting as extras in a public information film. Their older, more worldly flatmates introduce them to the city’s nightclubs. It’s all great fun – but it can’t last of course, and a shocking event threatens to put an end to their adventures, and worse, an end to their friendship.
Meanwhile, back in their home town of Brill, Agnes’s mother Florence is facing her own existential crisis. She’s swapped The Housewife’s Pocket Book for The Female Eunuch and let the scales drop from her eyes.
This story of a daughter and mother struggling to find their path in a brave new world will resonate with anyone who came of age in the 1970s. It’s an entertaining and accurate insight into life for the newly-emancipated women of the decade. But more than that, it’s an exploration of love and friendship, an often funny, sometimes heart-breaking and always emotional roller-coaster ride.

This is a real ‘coming of age’ novel in more ways than one. I found the start quite tight-laced and restricting,which is intended, and makes the outcomes more joyous and celebratory.
The story revolves around the friendship of two young girls, Agnes and Bea and growing up. Alongside this the story of Florence, Agnes mother, a traditional housewife discovering who she could be.
I took a while to get used to the sudden switches between points of view, mid-chapter, and spent a little while slowing down and rereading the switches to reorient myself.
In the second half I was hooked, willing the characters to make the right decisions and at times, holding my breath.
The last part of the book was totally heart-warming as the characters grappled to achieve their dreams / futures.
An enjoyable read and I’m already adding the next book to my TBR to follow some characters onwards.
The delightful Epilogue / Authors notes will benefit any younger reasons who may not be familiar with the 1970’s lifestyles and music (they were very familiar to me!)

This was a good story with pathos and humour, I really enjoyed the writing style which was witty and cleverly done. The story went between Florence and her daughter Agnes and I did sometimes find myself slightly confused as there was no warning between the switches! Liked the concept very much.

Bea and Agnes need an adventure before adulthood begins. A laugh out loud adventure awaits in London. Freedom, fun and sexual exploits happen away from the prying eyes of their families. A book set in the 70's exploring real life and all it has to offer.

Agnes and Bea are best friends, they've been there for each other throughout their childhood, now at the age of 20, both very naive and innocent virgins, they want to have some fun before adulting takes over, so they tell their parents they want to spend a month travelling round Europe when, in actual fact, they're only going to London, determined to change and discover themselves. Agnes mother, Florence feels she's not needed anymore, her youngest wants to fly the nest and she's stuck in a loveless marriage, realising she wants more from life, she takes off to Europe to reinvent herself.

This story is set in the early seventies, where women became housewives & mothers and most men seemed to do whatever they wanted to. It was a slow burner to begin with and I did nearly give up on it but I'm glad I persevered, because it turned out to be a good read, the characters were quirky and mostly likeable, I wasn't keen on William but the old saying 'you don't know what you've got till it's gone' really hit home for him. I loved the addition of the epilogue too, packed with references to certain things in the story that, as a child growing up in the seventies myself, really resonated and I sat there nodding as all the fabulous memories came flooding back. All in all an enjoyable read.

I'd like to thank Random House UK Cornerstone and Netgalley for the approval, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

Agnes and Bea decide that they want to escape for a few weeks to London, to find out who they are and what they want to do with their lives.

So following her secretarial exams Bea tells her parents that she’s going to Europe.

But for Agnes’s mom, Florence, who now feels that there’s got to be more to life than being a housewife, decides to make some changes.

But, when Florence asks William to take her to Italy, for a 2 week holiday, he refuses and as she wants to go, she decide to go leaving him behind.

Will William cope without her, or even notice that she’s not there doing everything for him to set times??

When Agnes returns, she makes some big decisions. But her mom Florence returns from Italy a different person. West does this mean for her marriage and what impact will the decisions Agnes makes have on their lives.......

We're in the 70s, in England. Agnes and Bea are best friends, who want more from life. They want to discover who they are and what they could be. And, also they both want to lose their virginity. They plan a vacation in London in secret and manage to set off on the adventure of their lifetime, without their parents knowing. Little did they both know, they are all going to learn of a new way of existing.

Agnes, Bea, Florence and even William are so very likeable and real. They all go make massive changes in their lives, and interesting to see how it all plays out.

Florence was a woman who didn't do things for pleasure. Everything needed to have a purpose, the house needed to be neat and clean, and her hair all neat and done for when her husband comes home. Agnes and Bea grew up wanting more, and slightly horrified by becoming their mothers. When they go on their quest for sexual equality and step into a brave new world they learn a lot about themselves. Their friendship is inspiring, strong and absolutely hilarious. If I have to describe how they looked at the beginning of this story, I'd use this sentence from the book:

''You look like a pair of librarians out for a walk with an owl''.

Also, when Agnes was described dancing at a concert:

''I very much enjoyed the bit where you pushed all your hair over your face and swayed like something found in the attic in a Victorian novel''.

This book felt like one perfect summer day: Sunrise is our introduction to the characters, their adventures and growth happening right around noon, and then we slowly drift towards the sunset, a change and a resolution. The characters all went through great changes, in ways that they didn't know they could. I found this book emotional, fun, funny, interesting, thought-provoking, and just lovely. I couldn't help but love the characters and root for them.

Themes: The story deals with growing up, patriarchy and feminism, identity, and family issues. Even tho it was set in a different time, it is still quite relatable.

And when the author referenced ''Bedknobs and Broomsticks'', I was sure I was going to pick up more of Emma Kennedy's books.

I did enjoy this book but it wasn’t quite what I thought it would be about. A journey of finding yourself, realising what you had and what you could have.

Emma Kennedy has written one of those books which is difficult to put down. The short chapters help to move things along but above all it is the story. This tale of Beatrice, Agnes and Florence finding themselves and new directions in the summer of 1971 is very evocative of the time. It demonstrates how friendships and marriages can change over time, even when people seem completely set in their ways. I think that my only criticism is that Bea and Agnes seem younger than 20; I turned 16 in the summer of 1971 and they come across as more naive than I think I was at the time.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this book.

I loved this book. It was beautifully written and so thoughtful and moving. It was a real treat to read. The characters were wonderful especially the adventures of Agnes and Bea were both funny and touching. Florence's feeling that something is missing in her life was thought provoking and a captivating read. Brilliant.

It's the 60s/70s in England. Agnes and Bea have finished secretarial school and do not want to go to work in an office. They want to live a little and lose their virginity while they still can. They concoct a plan to escape to London for a few weeks and have adventures. Florence is Agnes mum, and Williams wife and now she has empty time on her hands she doesn't know what to do with herself. Used to living within tightly controlled boundaries, with no thanks, she runs away to Europe to find herself. William has never done anything for himself before and discovers he is completely helpless without Florence. In the time where there are guidebooks to being the perfect housewife, the boundaries are challenged by The Female Eunich, and this family will never be the same again. Will they break apart, or will this bring them together. Fabulous characters and great plot. Was sad when it ended.