When I heard that Jo Thomas was writing a new book based in Pembrokeshire, I was very much looking forward to reading it. I am a huge fan of Jo Thomas and through her fabulous books I have travelled to Iceland, to Greece, to Spain and to France and experienced some wonderful food! And now we are off to Pembrokeshire! A place I have visited very many times, a place which I love visiting.

Summer at the Ice Cream Café is an absolutely exceptional heartwarming read. I loved it so much and I did not want it to end. Such an incredible story, with great food, wonderful characters, friendship and community at its core and a superb picturesque setting.

The love for Pembrokeshire shines throughout the book, the Welsh community and the language is written so brilliantly. I loved the inclusion of Welsh words and phrases and the fact that many people are known by their occupation with nicknames.

The main character in the book is the lovely, strong and very determined Beca Valentino who has moved back to her home village after being away in London. Beca has experienced so much in her life already that moving home to where she grew up, is the new start she not only wants but desperately needs. And the transformation which she makes not only to her own life, but to others is immense. She transforms the lives of two teenagers that she now fosters, she brings back the wonderful Italian gelato (with mouthwatering flavours!) that her grandparents used to make and the ice cream that everyone has been missing for so many years and she has had such an impact on the community and how they all help one another. The book is full of emotion, love, and laughter. The two teenagers came out with some cracking lines which we make me laugh!

I loved Griff and I was hoping and hoping that the ending that did happen was going to. Just the best ending! And without giving anything away, towards the end what happens with the spoon was a genius idea! Very clever!

Everyone deserves to be given a chance in life and should never be judged. You never know what a person is going through or their background or lives.

I think everyone will be booking a trip to Pembrokeshire after reading this superb book! Head for the coast for a BBQ and ice cream and fun and laughter! This book is such a page turner. An enormous 5 stars from me!

Thank you very much to Jo Thomas for an incredible read, Random House UK, Transworld Publishers, and NetGalley for the ARC.

This a story of going home and restarting again. Becca comes home and wants to start fostering! With being back to her old town all the old feelings resurface especially with a romantic loved nearby. A perfect Sunday afternoon read.

Beca’s family used to run Valentino’s gelato shop but Eddie bought it up and now has made it more of a restaurant with atrocious ice cream. She’s bought back her family home after running and owning a cleaning company in London. Be a wants to become a foster mother. She gets two older boys who at first don’t want to be there and she’s not that keen but everything works out for all of them and even Beca’s personal life.

Our heroine Beca has made a fortune but is coming 'home' after so much time away a good idea.
Beca has bought a farm in the Welsh village she grew up in and the villagers are intrigued.
Expecting another second homer they are pleased when Beca decides that she will foster children on the farm.
But this story is about the fact that Beca's family business making ice cream has gone and the replacement is not of the same quality.
Using all the resources she has and with some unexpected help Beca tries to recreate the tastes of her youth.

This is the heartwarming story of Becca, who returns to her Welsh hometown to discover it's not quite how she left it.
This book is just gorgeous, i love the description Thomas uses to describe the location I could almost be there.
If you like new beginnings and fresh starts, hope and of course Ice cream this book is for you.
This is the second book I have read by Jo Thomas. I will definitely be looking to read her back catalogue.

Beca has come back to her seaside home in Wales to foster children, as she has none of her own. She wants to give them the same happy childhood memories she has in the town where her parents ran the local ice creamery. She's embarrassed to find that someone she was romantically linked with still lives nearby. She's barely settled in when she's asked to foster two lads "just for the weekend". A heart-warming story of compassion and fighting back against the odds.

A lovely beach read. Great characters and a wonderful setting. Really enjoyed it. Recommended for a great holiday read.

I was lucky enough to have been given this latest Jo Thomas book to read and review. Yet again Jo you have written an absolute corker of a book. This time set in Wales, in the countryside next to the Sea. In true Jo style the book is filled with friendship and food. I really am craving genuine Italian Gelato right now. A wonderful read with believable characters. A very worthy 5 star review for a 5 star book.

Jo Thomas has really written another amazing book with this.
Made even better it's set in Wales, I found I loved the characters the story and just everything about the book.
It's the book I could read on a bus or next to the pool, far away from Wales.
Such a beautifully written story you just want to read again.

My favourite book of the year so far! Loved this gentle story and romance and read it in one day! Another great story from Jo Thomas.

Another amazing book by Jo Thomas, one of my favourite writers who transports you to beautiful places with amazing characters. When Becca buys a house in her childhood village she is sad to see that her grandparents ice cream shop has been turned into a trendy wine bar with tasteless ice cream on the menu. Becca has been accepted as a foster parent and I loved this part of the book, learning about two troubled boys who gradually learn to believe in their future. Becca is a great main character, so good with her fostered boys and strong enough to make a difference in the village. Her school friend Griff is also a likeable character who is always there when Becca needs a hand. I loved every page of this book and was sad when I finished it. I can’t praise it enough.

A lovely story of friendship, family and community. It brings warmth and cheer when you read it, you can't help but smile!

A beautiful heartwarming story of love, friendship and family. You can’t go wrong with a Jo Thomas book. Jo transports you into the lives of the characters and you feel part of the story, it’s one of those hard to put down books. This books takes you to the beautiful Welsh coast and tells the story of Beca who returns to the town she grew up in after leaving many years ago under extremely upsetting circumstances now she is back and determined to be happy there, She decides to foster and has a dairy farm to run so her hands are full but Griff her best friend from when they were young is there to help her along the way. This book was a joy to read.

As with every read from Jo Thomas, mouthwatering descriptions throughout left me feeling very hungry after every sitting. I love every book as it takes us somewhere different, with a mix of various foods, flavours, smells and experiences and this book is no exception.
I read every page totally immersed almost as is if I was right there; the picturesque setting reminding me of holidays in years gone by. I could smell the seafood in the air, almost taste the gelato, it stirred memories of being by the beach and spending time with family.
I loved the range of characters and thought Beca was wonderful. Going back to her roots, both in terms of moving home and restoring the gelato making traditions her grandparents are fondly remembered for. Beca has plans, great intentions and I love that this story shows people from differing backgrounds. I immediately loved Griff and hoped that they would see each other as more than just best friends.
There was so much more to the story that I initially thought, it had me choked up with emotion on more than one occasion, and I’m not embarrassed to say I almost shed a tear.
A gorgeous story of second chances, choosing your family and following your heart.
Great read!

Very enjoyable book. Put me in the mood for summer and to book a holiday to wales. Highly recommend this book

You can always guarantee good book from Jo Thomas and this is another bestseller. This is about Becca who once lived in a quaint little seaside town. She escaped to London years previously, but when her family home came on the market, she had made enough money to purchase it and return. This is not without it ups and downs, but it turns into a beautiful story of live and friendships and how a change of career and destination can bring much joy into your life. Loved it.

Jo Thomas is one of my favourite authors, and this book didn’t disappoint. Beca returns to the beautiful Pembrokeshire coast where she grew up, but is disappointed at some of the changes she finds. Having worked too hard at her business, she now wants a quieter, more meaningful life in the village where she grew up.
One of the biggest disappointments she finds is that Valentino’s, her family’s famed ice cream shop is now being run as a modern, trendy wine bar, selling ice-cream which is nowhere near as delicious as her family used to make.
This light hearted story is filled with engaging characters and amusing dialogue, especially with the two children she has decided to foster. Expecting two young children to arrive, she finds herself coping with teenagers, one surly, uncooperative, and glued to his phone. This engaging story explores relationships and disfunctional families, helping children who have suffered some hard knocks in life and becoming lost in the social care system.
Griff, a friend from when Beca was younger helps along the way. Beca is a strong, determined, warm hearted woman, and the book is filled with humour and laughter, but also heartbreaking at times. Scenic descriptions of the coast and sea make you feel you are there, enjoying the fresh air and breeze.
This is an uplifting, engaging book which is a joy to read.

I always love this authors work and this book was no exception. A lovely story which was well written in a great location. Easy to read with good characters. The perfect read for summer. Recommend

I have read and enjoyed many of Jo Thomas’s books and this latest one does not disappoint. Great characters, wonderful feel good factor and the setting is just perfect. Thoroughly recommend.

Such a fantastic read, I felt very privileged to be asked to read Jo’s latest novel in advance of publication, it did not disappoint.

I was transported into the lives of all of the characters and could stop turning the pages.

I would recommend this to all my friends

5 stars 🌟 from me