Lovely book, thoroughly enjoyed reading this . Great storyline , fabulous cast of characters, heartwarming and easy to read , Just what I needed!

I just love Jo Thomas’s books and I feel so absorbed in the places she writes about and the people. I imagine what “the big house “ looks like and the lovely Griff and the whole area and of course what the old Valentino Gelato shop looked like. .Beca comes home to change her life and in doing so fosters two boys Blake and Joe, she reconnects with the village and has to manage the gossips and and passed love ! . Such a lovely story of hope and commitment and family values. Always love page one of Jo’s books but they always sadly come to the last page so quickly. Thanks to Jo Thomas for giving us these lovely stories and my thanks as always to NetGalley and the publisher Random House UK, Transworld publishers Penguin for the early read . My copy is now on pre order 📚

I absolutely love this authors books so I couldn’t wait to get into this one. I was hooked from the first page and read it in practically one sitting. I loved the descriptions of the location and the fabulous characters and the storyline which struck a chord with me was good to see sensitive and life events and issues brought out in the open in books like this.

The story also embraced the theme that it’s never too late to start over and that anything is possible if you put your mind to it and also showed how the past can inspire the future.

I would love a sequel to this series to show how the story and the characters develop.

This story made me laugh abs cry in equal measure and was an inspirational and heartbreaking yet uplifting read.

Ooh this was just what I needed to warm me up on a cold winter morning. As always, Jo gives us a sentimental, heart warming story.. and the food of this read is clearly gelato! Swoon.
Love the west Wales setting, with a little bit of the language thrown in for good measure. Also came with it was the familiar sense of everyone knowing everyone, and their history, always good fun.
Great to see a fostering storyline at the heart of this read too. A subject not widely talked about enough in my opinion.
Overall a fun, lovely escapism read.

I received a free copy of, Summer at the Ice Cream Cafe, by Jo Thomas, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoy Jo Thomas' books, and this is another good one. Beca decides to go back home, foster a child, and start over. Becca ends up fostering to teenage boys, not what she expected at all. Her family business is gone, so Becca tries to recreate her family's gelato. A great read about family, starting over, and memories, good and bad.

I recently read this without knowing it was Jo Thomas but soon realised it was typical of Jo's writing.

It was lovely to be in Wales and a small community. No matter where we go or what we do when we return home to our roots there is always someone to remind us of who we were. Becca jumps in with both feet by not only deciding to 'foster' children but when 2 teenagers turn up everyone has something to say about it. How has Ed, her oldest friend made such a mess of taking over her Granparents ice cream parlour and how can he serve such awful products. True to form Becca, with help from another old friend Griff, starts to show that a bit of kindness and understanding can change things for the better. Gelato starts to be sold again thanks to the most unlikely of helpers and is soon a roaring success with locals and visitors. As usual ups and downs along the way make this book typical Jo and an imensly fun read as well as teaching us a few lessons along the way

Fantastic read and was read in one session. Couldn’t put it down.
Was well written and pulled you into the story.
Bed finally arrives home to the place she always felt was her place. She has decided to become a foster mum and instead of small kids she is brought 2 teenagers on a temporary stay. The adventures they have together showing how love does bring it all together is brilliant.
Highly recommended

Summer at the Ice Cream Café is the latest literary creation by Jo Thomas and it is another fantastic, enjoyable, summer read. In some ways, the portrayal of fostering 2 young people isn't true to life but it is still a great book and one that I would definitely recommend.

Beca returns to Wales but she has to prove herself as a local and not an incomer. Soon she's forging friendships, wild swimming, animal loving, ice cream making and having a tad romance. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book.

A wonderfully warm story of moving back to your roots and discovering maybe running away years ago wasn't the answer. The characters felt authentic and it was like wearing a teddy soft fleecy hug in book form.

A wonderfully heartwarming book to relax with. Set on the picturesque Welsh coast with utterly delightful characters who developed throughout. A little insight into the world of fostering, albeit slightly sugared with the way everything turns out, but why not, we all need a feelgood read and Jo Thomas does this so well. Perfect holiday book to switch off with.

Wow another fantastic read from jo, I have read and loved every book of hers and this is my new favourite!
Another delectable, totally immersive read based in picturesque Pembrokeshire, a tale of belonging, home, love and second chances!
Tantalising freshly cooked seafood,and wonderful flavoursome, creamy traditional gelato, great company, idyllic summer days at the beach, making peace with the past, fulfilling your dreams, providing love and stability and a fantastic sense of community!
Fantastic diverse characters of all ages add such a depth and intensity to the read, all adding to and embellishing Beca and Griffs story.
A wonderful totally entrancing read that I would highly

I always look forward to a new Jo Thomas novel and I love any books that feature a foodie business so when I saw Summer at the Ice Cream Café I was full of excitement and wasted no time in diving straight in to meet our protagonist Beca Valentino who is returning to her hometown after fleeing many years ago.

So much has changed since she has left but the biggest change of all is in her families old Ice Cream shop but one thing sure hasn’t changed, the village gossip!
As Beca attempts to set her roots back down she battles with that fine line of being a local and at the same time feeling like an outsider but as she begins to try and help others to have a better life she soon finds the comfort of friends are their to give their support.

As ever Jo Thomas is going to play havoc with those taste buds as she teases us with mouth watering hand made gelato in a whole range of flavours. We don’t have an exotic location to explore this time as we come to expect from this author but instead we have a home comfort in our setting set along the coast of Wales and for the storyline that is explored in this book this setting was perfect as it provides distraction, familiarity and a safe place, essentially a place to call home.

We have a great mix of personalities in this book and a mix of generations too with characters who will touch your heart. Beca really had a heart of gold and was a selfless character who does so much for others so you can only wish for a happy ending for her too. Joe and Blake were both great characters and I loved watching their barriers come down and see their trust and enjoyment begin to blossom. I haven’t read many books that feature fostering as a main subject matter in a book so I found this was a great insight into the world of fostering from both sides of the coin, the thoughts of the children as well as the nerves of the foster carer.

This really was a delightful novel from Jo Thomas, a little different from her usual books but still full of delicious delights but added to that a bucket full of love, nurturing. Hope and new beginnings.

It was a very sweet and enjoyable read. The characters were adorable and story interesting enough to made sigh with pleasure and adoration for it. And I think in the future is has the capability to become one of my comfort reads too!

I love Jo Thomas’s books - they are full of warmth, filled with (mostly) likeable characters and are set in such beautiful places. Summer at the Ice Cream Cafe is the perfect panacea for such depressing times and I completely lost myself in this joyful book! Beca Valentino decides to return home after escaping to London 20 years ago, but now she’s back and determined to put the past behind her, silence the gossips and rediscover her family love of gelato. Perfect!

I really enjoyed this novel, set in Pembrokeshire (which I believe is where the author lives – she definitely has a good feel for the place, anyway).

This was a return to a place that the protagonist had left years ago and it was interesting to read about her treading the tightrope between being a local and an outsider. I loved reading about making gelato, swimming in the sea at the cove and exploring the beautiful village – perfect summer escapism! It was a lovely story with lots of layers including an uplifting take on fostering children.

An easy five-star read from me!

Thank you very much to the publisher and NetGalley for a free advance copy of Summer at the Ice Cream Café in exchange for an honest review.

This has all the Jo Thomas feel’s however this one feels like it just didnt hit the spot for me.

It was very sweet and enjoyable with nice references to her previous books just unfortunately missed the spot.

This was literally such a sweet read! Pun Intended. I will be sharing more thoughts soon, but I loved how our main character bounced back from adversity to truly create a business of her dreams. I love all the unique characters along the way. I thought the scenery and descriptions were beautiful. A perfect escapist read!
Highly recommend especially for book clubs!

In Jo Thomas’s latest book Beca is running away to her old life in her Welsh hometown having fled from there suddenly many years ago. Her family ran the local ice cream shop until ill health forced her grandparents to sell it and Beca is horrified to discover how it’s changed since then. With a wonderful mix of characters as you would expect, including some fabulous youngsters, this is a very warm hearted and uplifting read which I sadly sped through all too quickly!

Jo Thomas at her best. I am reviewing it on a frosty day but it makes you want to eat Italian ice cream. A story of going back discovering lost love and memories and an amazing story about fostering. The foster part opened your eyes . All set by the coast in Wales. Loved it