Lovely to be back for a summer visit to Nightingale Square where it works it’s magic on the newest resident. Beth has had a lot to deal with recently from caring for her mum to awful housemates but it all changes when she visits Nightingale Square. With plenty of returning characters as well as some new ones Heidi Swain has done it again with a lovely read absolutely bursting with heart

My first instinct is to shout OMG I LOVE THIS BOOK AND YOU ALL NEED TO READ IT RIGHT NOW!!!!! But somehow I think more is expected of me for a blog tour review...

Let's see... Ok, Beth. We'll start with Beth. She's a lovely girl who had her world fall apart when she lost her Mum. She gave up her hopes and dreams to care for her and lost all joy she used to find in the thing she loved most, music. Then there's Eli. (Pardon me while I mop up the drool). Lovely, gorgeous man who also lost the love for the thing he was most passionate about. Enter Beth...

Things happen and then...

You have to read it if you want to know the rest!

This is such a fabulous, fun, summery sweet book and it was great to be back in Nightingale Square with all our old friends. Go on, read it!

Another fabulous novel by the talented Heidi Swain. I enjoyed this from start to finish. Although one thing I would say was that it was a little predictable but apart from that it was a lovely, easy read.

lovely story, I can recommend this latest tale by Heidi I will add more when can I have a broken wrist an in plaster

The Summer Fair by Heidi Swain

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK and I am leaving this review voluntarily

Beth loves her job working in a care home, looking after its elderly residents, but she doesn’t love the cramped and dirty house-share she currently lives in. So, when she gets the opportunity to move to Nightingale Square, sharing a house with the lovely Eli, she jumps at the chance.
 
The community at Nightingale Square welcomes Beth with open arms, and when she needs help to organise a fundraiser for the care home they rally round. Then she discovers The Arches, a local creative arts centre, has closed and the venture to replace it needs their help too – but this opens old wounds and past secrets for Beth.

It is always nice being welcomed back to Nightingale Square, all of the characters are just so welcoming and we have some more characters to get to know. The way this series has been written, they could all be read as standalones but are far more enjoyable when read as part of the series.
A lovely summery read that will have you wanting to get to work in the garden.

Rating 5/5

For her summer book Heidi Swain has taken us back to Nightingale Square and there is no better place to be in the summer to drink in the wonderful community and garden either.

For Beth, moving to Nightingale Square seems like a dream come true. But after her awful house share she needs to move, to have her own space and plenty of it to put all of her plants. Nightingale Square seems the perfect place and sharing with Eli also seems perfect too. Expect that Eli loves music and Beth ahs been avoiding it ever since her opportunities were taken away from her years before.

As Beth’s new job at the Care Home takes off, she cannot avoid music forever. When the community she finds herself in rally round to raise money for a local project which brings back lots of memories for Beth it seems that her love of music is going to help finally solve her broken heart. If she picks up some love for herself along the way then surely that can only be a good thing?

As with all of Heidi’s books, you are drawn right into the community, to the garden, to the lives of the locals and if there was a book I wanted to go and live in, it would be one of these. The books can be read standalone but why would you want to deprive yourself of such a joy of immersing yourself in Nightingale Square completely.

The perfect summer read

Thanks to netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Another book by Heidi set in Nightingale Square.

Beth works in a care home looking after the elderly residents. She currently lives in a house share that is getting her down as she is the only one who does any cleaning. When a house share comes up in Nightingale Square she jumps at the chance. The residents welcome her like a part of the family, she soon settles in but finds her housemates music opens up old wounds. Will the residents of both the care home and Nightingale Square help her find a way to love music again?

Who doesn't love a Heidi Swain book, especially when it is set in Nightingale Square. I'm still looking for my perfect home there! Beth works in the Edith Cavell Care Home & she loves her job but her living arrangements leave a lot to be desired. After taking one of the residents, Harold, on a visit to the gardens at the Victorian manor house Prosperous Place.
So much changes in her life quickly & so much of Beth's past is revealed. The story is pure escapism & it envelops you in a warm blanket & makes you feel good. Yes, there is a Summer Fair in this book, but it is so much more too.
Enjoy this lovely book, we all deserve it.

Another reliable treat from Heidi Swain. If you’re feeling despondent about the world, or anything else for that matter, this writer can be trusted to show you the light and make you feel just that little bit more positive again. I always love meeting a Heidi Swain main character because they always begin a book at a crossroads in their life, always need a little bit of a pick-me-up and a shove in the right direction again and Beth is no exception. But you know that Heidi Swain is going to look after her.
One of the things I loved about Beth was how independent she is. This is not necessarily through choice but she is on her own in this world and she has chosen to make the ost of it as opposed to turning it into a sob story. She can see that her home situation has to change and her job situation is not ideal but she takes those obstacles and decides to do something about it. And of course along come Nightingale Square and the residents within.
Returning to a much-loved location from thai authors creations always feels like returning home and when we have a new character entering that setting you can’t help but find yourself saying ‘oh I can’t wait for them to meet…’ and ‘oh I hope they enjoy…’ because you feel a sense of ownership over that location, that’s the power that this writer gives her settings. It was great to catch ujp on the action in the square again although I feel like we might have been inside almost all of the houses now and that has me a little worried!
As well as helping someone back on the path to happiness, a Heidi Swain novel always has a romance element in it and I LOVED the meet cute in this one. You almost don’t see it coming and then it’s like that moment in The Office where you say “oh ok it’s happening, everyone stay calm’ its a wonder. Another aspect of this novel that I loved which I don’t think has been a highlight of a Heidi Swain book before was music. I loved the musical side of it and the power that music is given throughout the book. I know singing makes me happier and so it was great to see it in black and white on the page here.
Summery and just lovely I highly recommend The Summer Fair from Heidi Swain.

Thank you to Harriet at Simon and Schuster for my invitation to the blogtour and for my copy of the book in return for a fair and honest review.

Beth works in a care home and lives in a shared house with people who live like slobs amd she is fed up.

She accompanies Harold to Nightingale Square and meets the residents and then gets an offer to move in to a shared house there however it is way out of her price range. Then something happens which changes everything and gives her the opportunity to change her life.

She moves into a house with Elijah her new housemate and he has a habit that brings back alot of memories she has kept hidden for many years. The characters are warm and realistic and as the book progresses we uncover these secrets and experience the joy that Heidi manages to share in all of her books. If you have never read a Heidi Swain book or like me wait for your twice yearly fix this book is a perfect summery escape read.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster for my copy of this book via Netgalley and for letting me take part in this tour. I am a huge fan of Heidi’s writing and Nightingale square is such a lovely series so I was thrilled to return. This is the 4th book in the series but all can be read as standalone.

This book follows Beth who works at the local care home. Long time readers of this series will know that previous resident Harold moved to the care home recently but loves to visit his old neighbours. It was lovely to catch up with the residents of Nightingale Square but also to meet new characters in the care home. There were some interesting and funny characters here which I hope we get to see again.

Beth is such an easy character to like. She has been through a lot for such a young age and I just wanted things to go her way. I can understand why Beth removed music from her life but it’s clear she still had a passion for it so it did make me sad that she was without it.

Heidi has not only written about community but has also talked about mental health, grief and how we all keep going. Grief affects everyone in different ways and everyone needs to take it at their own pace.

This was a wonderful story of love, loss and friendship. It's the sort of book that wraps you in a hug and leaves you feeling like you have made a whole new bunch of friends.

I’m so happy to be back with the lovely people of Nightingale square and loved meeting the newest characters! Such a lovely story and the perfect summer read!

Another beautiful story from Heidi Swain. Filled with warm hearted characters and happiness this is the perfect feel good summer read. I loved it.

I love Heidi Swain’s book so I was so pleased to be back in Nightingale Square with its familiar characters and new ones.

This time we are introduced to Beth who has the lucky opportunity to move into the square after previously living with a group of people who take her for granted and are downright messy. Beth moves in to house share with Eli who seems to keep to himself and is almost perfect as he plays loud music when he is in. This is a problem for Beth as she has eradicated music totally from her life for a while now due to events in her past. Beth works in a care home which she loves and especially adores its quirky residents who definitely keep her on her toes.

Her past catches up with her when she discovers her old friend Pete working in a local music shop, at first she avoids him but soon realises that this is impossible. Between Pete, Eli and the care home residents Beth’s love of music is rekindled and a spark is ignited with a special character.

This book can be read as a standalone but as all Heidi’s previous ones are fabulous they too are too good to miss.

My thanks to Net Galley and to the publishers for the ARC copt of this delightful book

Wow what can I say I absolutely love Heidi swain books and this one did not disappoint. I love returning to either nightingale square I this book or wynmouth I some of her other books.
This one we return to nightingale square a meet the regulars or luke , Kate, Lisa etc and we add eli, pete and Beth this time around. If was a lovely story based on grief and friendship and I just did not want it to end.
If you haven't read any of Heidi's books I highly recommend them you will not be disappointed. I can not wait for the next trip that I'm hoping will be a winter time one.

I’ve always been a huge fan of the fictional world created by Heidi Swain, so reading The Summer Fair completely transported me to Nightingale Square again. Please don’t think this is not a book for you. Although some of the characters are familiar to die-hard fans of Heidi’s wonderful books, this book, like all of the others, works perfectly as a standalone.

Beth has clearly been through several traumatic years that saw her give up on her dream of becoming a singer, and eliminating music from her life. When she moves into Nightingale Square to live in a house share with Eli, she does not find her silence lasts for long, given that he is a musician who loves to have music to listen to. The romantic connection between Beth and Eli is instantaneous, and although they both fight against it because of the inconvenience of them living in the same house, and not wanting to jeopardise their new friendship in such a welcoming community, it isn’t long before they both find themselves missing the other person when they are not around. I adored the way they connected, and the way in which they were both similar in their desire to make other people happy.

I loved the characters who live in the care home that Beth works in, there were some really quirky pensioners, and I had a massive soft spot for Greta! I loved the activities that Beth organised for them, and I live in the hope that more care homes will look after their residents as well as these old people were looked after. Freddie Fanshawe sounded so fabulous, but I loved the fact that irrespective of his ‘star’ ego, he was also incredibly perceptive and thoughtful.

Grief and loss of trust were a major part of this story, and I think they were really sensitively handled. The Summer Fair does deal with some serious issues, but with lashings of love, laughter, and an overwhelming sense of community.

These books are rapidly becoming my comfort reads. You know what you're getting, but you're not sure how you're getting there. I love checking back in with old favourite characters & meeting wonderful new ones. Beth & Eli were great but I also really loved Pete & Sara too. These characters have flaws & sadness but also so much love & heart. Harold remains a firm favourite with me, there's just something heartwarming about him & he needs protecting at all costs. I hope further Nightingale Square books have more Freddie too.

These books are bright, easy to imagine & full of colourful characters & places. Whether curled up under a blanket for a Christmas read or laying out on one for a picnic in the sun Heidi will always have a place with me.

This is such a gorgeous heartwarming read. I have read and enjoyed all of Heidi's previous books and this one is one of her best in my opinion. It also has a beautiful Summery cover.
This book is set in Nightingale Square which is the location of some of Heidi's previous books. This book can easily be read as a standalone novel though. It features new characters, Beth and Eli but we also catch up with some of the characters who live in Nightingale Square. It's always lovely to have updates from previous books and characters.
There are themes of grief, but overall this is a feel-good and uplifting story. The characters are well developed and there is a wide range of different personalities. There is not one character who I did not like.
This is a fabulous summer read, perfect to relax with. Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC.

Beth hates her house-share with her dirty and disrespectful housemates, but she absolutely loves her job looking after the residents of the local care home. When one of her charges asks Beth to accompany him to Nightingale Square’s Gro-well she is surprised to find this bountiful oasis in the middle of the city. So, when the opportunity to take up residence on the Square arises, Beth jumps at the chance.

Welcomed with open arms by her new neighbours, especially new house mate Eli. But being embraced by this close-knit community soon seems to have its downfalls. Ones that open old wounds for Beth that she never thought she’d revisit.

By helping her friends and neighbours can Beth also begin to heal herself.


Oh, it’s so good to be back in one of Heidi’s enchanting Norfolk destinations! As enjoyable as it is for a reader to discover new people and locations in novels, I find it somewhat comforting to revisit familiar faces and places.

This story follows newcomer Beth, who can’t believe her luck as she is enveloped by this special community. I found Beth, and Eli, to be my least favourite protagonists of Swain’s. I think this was due in part to the predominance this book and particularly these characters placed on their love of music. A passion that I do not share and therefore found it hard to relate to.

This aside, the story itself was exactly what I have come to expect and thoroughly enjoy from Swain. Her writing style is as warm and endearing as the characters she creates and I always look forward to anything new. I would happily read her shopping list, I’m sure!

Highly recommend for fans and newcomers alike.

After a trip to Nightingale Square with one of the residents from the care home she works at, Beth jumps at the chance to move in to a house share there and leave behind the awful place she currently lives in.
She moves in with local barista, Eli, and soon fits right in amongst the little community of lovely residents.
However, Beth has been avoiding music ever since losing her mother so soon has to face some problems when she finds she is no longer able to hide away from it.
She is surrounded by Eli, who plays loud music whenever he is home, her new neighbours who need her help with raising money to relaunch the local arts centre and new care home resident and ex-musician, Freddie Fanshawe.
Throw in to the mix an old friend that Beth reconnects with, discovering that her past and present have more in common than she thought.

It was so good to be back in Nightingale Square - I think this was my favourite trip there yet!
As always, the community there and the things they do are so beautiful and make me wish I lived there.
Along with the usual residents of the square, we met some amazing new characters, with big personalities at the care home - Freddie and Greta especially were great additions.
I literally devoured this book and am already impatient for the next Christmas one!!