Can a story be any more perfect? This had everything. Liv and Finn are bonded for life, but life gets in the way. What will happen during those 7 summers ? a perfect read

Heart breaking romance! The timeline jumps had me a bit confused at first but I soon got the hang of it. The setting in Cornwall was so beautifully described. The characters were amazing, you got so involved with their lives as the story evolved. A beautiful story.

Okay, so after reading this, I am almost ashamed to admit that I haven't read any Paige Toon books before. There is no specific reason, other than I have had so many others to read, that I haven't got round to reading them.
However, and it's a big however, I shall be hunting down her back catalogue after reading Seven Summers.
Talk about an author putting you through the rinse cycle about a MILLION times!
The story centres around Liv, a young woman living in St Agnes, Cornwall. She has come back after her studies, fully ready to embrace the life of a hopefully full-time sculptor.
She meets Finn, an acquaintance from secondary school, and they hit it off. Thing is, they want very different things from life, and though they are perfect for one another, there are many reasons why they can't be in the same place all the time.
Both characters have tragedy etched in their souls that they support one another with, but equally, both have responsibilities and dreams that tear them apart.
Over six years, they are drawn together like magnets each summer, then pulled apart.
Except on the seventh, when Liv meets a stranger, Tom, who looks set to break this cycle of not quite toxic but unhealthy and unmanageable emotion.
I really don't want to reiterate the story in this review, but I will say that I highly recommend reading this book.
Yes, there is loss, and yes, there are struggles, but there is genuine happiness and love, too.
Be ready to have your heart quivering with anticipation as it sings, then cries with heartbreak, only to rise again before a fall and then come full circle again to happiness.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House, UK, for an ARC.

Seven Summers, a guaranteed tear jerker.

Recommended reading.

Opening at present time, the author takes the reader back seven years to when 22-year old Liv meets and falls in love with Finn, a stand-in singer with the local rock group. Finn is spending a few weeks in Cornwall with his family before returning to LA to advance his music career.

Each summer Finn returns to Cornwall and they renew their relationship but being together for just a few weeks each years is not enough. Liv has commitments and can't leave Cornwall, and Finn's work is in America. Eventually they decide their relationship has become too stressful and both find other love interests.

The book progresses between present day and past summers, the timelines are clearly marked and teasingly end with cliff hangers. This is compulsive reading.

Finally reaching present time the book ends with an epilogue. Then comes the twist, the story extends into future summers.

This is far more than the usual summer romance.

eARC generously supplied by Penguin Random House UK and NetGalley, this review is my personal, unbiased opinion

📚 Book Review 📚
Seven Summers - Paige Toon.
4.5/5

I don't often go for a romance book unless it has a good story to it and this one did. It is my first read by Paige Toon and probably won't be my last but I need to get over this one before I read another. It tells the story of Liv and Finns romance through the summers they spend together in Cornwall where Liv and Finn grew up but Finn now lives in LA with his dad. They try to deal with the distance between them and when Liv meets Tom and Finn dates a singer they both struggle with their feelings. I don't want to give anymore away, there's a lot more to the story but 😭 a very emotional book and written very well. If you enjoy an emotional roller coaster then I would definitely recommend this one. I will need a feelgood book next or a good thriller 😅
Thank you to @netgalley and @PaigeToon for my arc copy.

Oh I loved this so much - a bit of celebrity, a bit of small town sweethearts, a bit of a new start, I can’t even be mad about the ending because it was always meant to be. A proper rollercoaster of a read with some deep dark feelings under the surface.

I was delighted to receive an arc of this book, as I'd read Paige Toon in the past and really enjoyed her work! This was a gorgeous, evocative story set over the course of six summers and detailing a love triangle between Liv, Finn, and Tom. I'm not normally a fan of a love triangle, but this was so perfectly done: a balancing act between three very different characters, and the way they draw out different sides and emotions in each other.

Liv's character was the core of the novel, and she was wonderful. The depiction of her grief, and trying to move forward with her life, was so beautifully and skilfully done. It felt like 'The Sky is Everywhere' by Jandy Nelson, but for grown ups - which is high praise, as that might be one of the most emotive books I've ever read!

A gorgeous, bittersweet read. I thoroughly recommend it!

I could not put this book down. I wanted to keep reading and I just didn’t want it to end. Yet again Paige Toon took me on an emotional rollercoaster story full of love and heartbreak. I loved how the story is told over 7 summers and is told in the past and present, I also loved the future summers. at the end. It Kept me guessing right until the end if Finn and Liv get together,, which brought a smile to my face. The setting, characters, and sensitive subjects around grief all add up to it being one of Paige Toon’s best novel to date.

Absolutely loved this story and went fully on the journey with Liv as she experienced some real highs and lows in her life. I felt every moment with her and could not put this book down.

The ultimate hook up book of that old age promise of friends - spend the summers being lovers if they are single. Expect one year everything changes in this unputodownable book by Paige Toon. This is my first book by her and it won't be my last for sure.

This is one of the best Paige Toon books I have read in a while! I really enjoyed reading this book and the format was different, interesting, and kept you entertained. It is difficult to find something to write without spoiling the book, but I really enjoyed reading about Liv. I thought the description of Liv's grief was sincere and it was overdone, which sometimes can happen by authors. I really wish there could be another book about these characters, but as with all Paige Toon, they are only the central characters once... Although they sometimes pop up as a side mention in future books!

I don’t know where to start. I adore Paige Toon’s books and have been putting off the NetGalley ARC because I know I will be desperate for the next one asap.

Liv and Finn find each other again one summer and the rest is history. For the next seven summers they are unable to leave each others sides during their whirlwind romance. They put their lives on hold and return to comfort one another yearly, yet, and this is where I found Finn frustrating - they can’t form a proper relationship. One wanting to live in Cornwall and the other in LA. Both with their reasons for not wanting to move. The issue here, a lot of unresolved trauma.

Liv then meets Tom who has a hereditary heart condition, knowing Tom won’t live to a great age felt like he was somewhat introduced as cannon fodder. Especially as the end few pages saw Liv’s life after Tom’s death.

Liv and Finn ultimately end up back together with the best of both worlds between LA and Cornwall. If you’d said to me at the midway point that Finn would be the one with the staying power over Liv I would’ve debated it.

Overall, I enjoyed it. But a trigger warning to those who struggle with death, there is a lot throughout and probably not the wisest move to read when a family member is recovering from heart attacks

Paige Toon, you absolute gem!! This book gave me the same feelings as Five Years from Now… urrrgh I just loved it. My heart was torn between who I wanted Liv to end up with so I have to say I was happy with how it all panned out, although the epilogue did make me heart sink half way through😟 I’d love to see a short story in the future for Michael, he was such a loveable character! Also.. it looks like I need to add St Agnes on my places to visit now, the book made it sound beautiful. The epilogue was everything but Chapter 41 was so lovely!! Paige, you’re my favourite author for a reason and this book implements even more why! Highly reccomend

SWOON! I just adore Paige and have a gorgeous collection of her novels. I cannot wait to add a copy of this.
Just immediately feel so content when reading, and never want the novels to end… I’ll be re reading this for sure 👌

I really liked this book, although did get a bit confused with all the back and forth. The ending did seem a bit rushed, but I read in only 3 days and kept having to pick up all the time.

This was a wonderful read following the lives of Liv and Finn in Cornwall which is always a wonderful setting judging by the description of the area. A great story of love and friendship both heart breaking and heart warming in equal measure. A real rollercoaster of emotions and a real page turner. My first book by Paige but it won't be my last. A great story teller.

Wow, Paige Toon has done it again! I didn’t want it to end and fell completely in love with Liv and Finn. I love the way Toon writes, painting Cornwall so realistically I felt I was there, and building the romance and love between the characters. I also enjoy the way ‘background’ characters had their own depth too, adding to the story. Difficult issues were tackled brilliantly- I defy anyone not to laugh and cry alongside the main characters in this book!

This was a great story of love, loss, friendship and growing up. I really loved the characters who were well written and likeable. This wasn’t a predictable as many novels of this type and I enjoyed the unfolding of the story. A great read.

I'm not usually a fan of Love Triangles in my books but this one was managed so cleverly with the time line alternating between "This summer" and "Previous Summers", that I somehow fell in love with both the male love interests.

For a story with so much heartbreak in it was surprisingly uplifting and delivers 2 HEAs.

I docked 1 star as once Tom's secret was revealed I found it rather predictable how the book would end.

I am probably in the minority here but Paige Toon’s writing style really annoys me. Lots of short choppy sentences and short chapters just impedes the flow of the story, in my opinion. However, I read this book quickly and found the first half confusing until the characters were all established. The second half was better but I was never really engaged. Not for me, I’m afraid….