Member Reviews
I think Paige Toon was my first addiction when it came to romance novels. I used to wait every year for her latest publication and when i saw this on netgalley I was thrilled. Toon writes wonderfully beautiful romances where the main characters are exposed to a journey of personal growth. Nothing is surface level or cutsey in these books, they are real, they show real emotion. I loved this book, and I LOVE the cover.
So beyond excited for this new upcoming Paige Toon book! I absolutely love her books and her writing and cannot wait to dig into another one of her beautiful love stories! I know our readers will love this book as well and I can’t wait to share my full thoughts an pd review. She always combines beautiful love stories, rich characters, and a bit of mystery and has you the reader turning the pages well into the night!
This was another great book and story from Paige Toon.
I liked the dual timelines and found myself completely engaged the whole way through.
It was much more emotional and poignant than I expected it to be and wasn't just your typical romance in the slightest.
I really loved the descriptive nature of the writing - you truly feel like you're right there with the characters.
As always, I can't wait to see what Paige Toon does next and I will definitely be reading.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
In try Paige Toon style Seven Summers made me laugh, cry and fall in love. I love how Paige Toon uses time in her books. you get such an understanding of the characters as they grow over the years. I just loved every second of this book and I wish I could read it for the first time again.
Loved loved loved. Like always Paige Toon had me gripped and did me proud!! Absolutely loved this it's the perfect read.
Another absolute winner from Paige Toon! I honestly don’t know how she creates such beautiful stories, with characters you want to get to know and storylines that keep you hooked until the end. This one is no different, I loved Liv and Finn, Tom, Micheal and all the rest of St Agnes’ residents. The plot is lovely and will have you giggling and crying. Another must read from Paige Toon.
I really loved this. It’s heartbreaking, cosy and hopeful all in one. I loved both Finn and Tom, but found myself rooting for Tom more because Finn dipped in and out of the story a lot. The time jumps were a bit tricky to follow, otherwise, a solid four stars from me,
Wow what an emotional rolleroster this was! This broke my heart, then mended it, and broke it all over again.
I loved how the timeline was set out in this one. We start in Liv's present life and then we go back each summer with Finn.
It was a beautiful story of friendship, family, love and grief. I loved everything about this book, I couldn't put it down. This story will stay with me forever.
Thank you the author, publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Oh my god! I literally cried my eyes out when I read this book! I was not expecting that ending at all. Honestly im still very in shock and emotional.
The way the author has written this book is incredible! I love the whole concept of the summers. It was very easy to read and I found that I struggled to put this book down.
Honestly this has to be one of the best books I have ever read and it will definitely be one thats story stays with me forever.
I loved it! I absolutely raced through reading this because I couldn’t put it down. It’s an easy read that’s jam packed with love, loss and friendship. I feel like I genuinely know the characters and I think the story would make a great movie.
As expected, I loved Seven Summers! It is the ultimate love story.
This book was pure escapism. From the development of the characters, to the the beautifully described Cornish setting, every single word was a treat.
Paige Toon is one of my must-read authors and I can't wait to see what she writes next.
"Seven Summers" by Paige Toon is a poignant and beautifully written novel that explores the complexities of love, loss, and the enduring ties that bind us. Set against the picturesque backdrop of the Cornish coastline, Toon weaves a tale of heartbreak, healing, and the unexpected twists that life often brings.
The story unfolds over the span of seven summers, beginning with Liv and Finn's fateful meeting in a bar on the rugged Cornish coast. A night of passion ends in tragedy, forging an unbreakable connection between them. Despite the geographical distance and the different paths their lives take, Liv and Finn make a promise to spend each summer together if they remain single. This promise becomes a poignant tradition, a bittersweet reminder of the past.
Toon's narrative is both tender and evocative, capturing the essence of each summer and the emotions that accompany Liv and Finn's yearly reunions. The portrayal of the Cornish landscape adds depth to the story, creating a vivid backdrop for the characters' journeys of love and self-discovery.
As Liv crosses paths with Tom, a mysterious newcomer in her hometown, the wildflowers and heather come into bloom, mirroring the blossoming romance between them. The exploration of Liv's evolving feelings and the delicate dance between past and present is handled with sensitivity, allowing readers to empathize with the characters' struggles and triumphs.
The characters are well-developed, each carrying their own burdens and aspirations. Liv faces an impossible choice as she navigates the complexities of her heart and discovers the shocking reasons behind Tom's departure from home. The emotional depth of the characters, coupled with Toon's skilful storytelling, elicits a genuine connection with the reader.
While the novel follows a somewhat predictable trajectory, Toon infuses it with unexpected twists and turns that keep the narrative fresh and engaging. The exploration of themes such as resilience, forgiveness, and the transformative power of love adds layers to the story, making it more than a traditional romance.
In conclusion, "Seven Summers" is a four-star gem that tugs at the heartstrings with its emotionally resonant storytelling. Paige Toon's ability to craft compelling characters and weave a narrative that spans years showcases her talent as a storyteller. Recommended for readers who appreciate heartfelt tales of love, loss, and the enduring bonds that shape our lives.
After the wonder that was Only Love Can Hurt Like This earlier this year I wasn’t sure that it could be topped.
This book was just chock full of emotions from the pain of grief to the heightened joys of first love. That two of those seem to overlap somewhat made my heart hurt.
The book takes place over 7 years, including the present, with LIv thinking about her past and the complexity of her relationship with musician Finn who revisits her life every summer picking up things where they left off the summer before.
While Finn has no trouble moving on with his life and coming back to Liv, Liv’s life is on hold and has been since the first summer they spent together…the summer that her parents died.
This summer is different…she’s met Tom, who has a secret of his own and is just getting out of a relationship that wasn’t working for reasons he is unwilling to share, at least in the beginning.
Though she misses Finn when he’s gone, she is unwilling to accept his offer of a new life in LA with him, feeling as though she needs to stay in her parents’ home, caring for her older brother, though she never gives Michael a chance to say whether this is something he wants or not.
Liv and Finn’s relationship seems to be in a holding pattern, only seeing each other every summer and maintaining something of an agreed silence in the interim. When she meets Tom he sparks something in her that seems to have burned out when her parents were killed.
I loved Tom and Liv together, they had something that was fragile and caring and though it wasn’t the sudden explosion of Finn and Liv it was something that had the potential to last.
The story evoked a lot of emotions as I was reading it and I am glad to have had the opportunity to read it now. Liv and Tom and Finn are all complex characters who have something to offer to each other, but the time needed to be right.
A sweet and moving story of love in all its forms.
This is classic Paige Toon so it is heartbreaking but also joyful and certainly a rollercoaster of emotions! It's a little hard to describe how this book makes you feel without giving too much away but Liv meets Finn, both of whom have family drama / parental issues that ultimately cause rifts and difficulties for them. When Tom meets Liv all that seems to fade away and so everyone is happy right!?
Both Tom and Finn are amazing men that Liv would be very happy with for her HEA but the journey she has to travel to get there is not an easy one.
I received this book as an ARC and have provided an honest review.
As always, Paige Toon has written a heartbreaker of a love story! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. Paige writes about grief so beautifully and I think her research into the topics in her books really shows. One of Livs passions in this book was sculpting and it was so nice to be able to see her having a creative outlet and passion whilst still having a job at what seemed to be her comfort place. Another thing Paige does well is a love triangle and often in these scenarios I find myself in favour of one of the love interests way more than the other but both male love interests in this book were genuinely likeable and you could really see Liv's future with either of these men making you beable to relate to her torn emotions.
I loved Only Love Can Hurt Like This, but was less enamoured by Seven Summers. Great blueprint, going back and forth between the summers, but I felt frustrated by the characters. I was much more interested in the present day narrative (with Tom), rather than the historic summers with Finn.
Liv met Finn six summers ago, she was working at a bar right by the shore and had so much to look forward too but one night terrible accident happened that changed her life and their potential relationship forever. Finn went to LA to kickstart his music career and Liv had to stay in Cornwall but they promise too spend every summer together. Six years later Tom walks into her life and for the first time Liv is forced to make a decision.
I had a difficult time getting into this one at first. Not sure why, it’s quite easy to follow despite the dual timeline but maybe it’s because in the beginning I found Tom rather boring (sorry) and Finn was the guy leading her on for years (sorry). I mean that’s not the dream. It gets better, trust me. Especially with Tom he really grew in my eyes as his character developed.
The ending is so interesting, romance novels are usually fairly straightforward and easy to predict but not this one. It took me by surprise and I loved it. That’s reason enough to pick this one up.
I also loved the friend group, summer vibes and most importantly Livs story. Her dealing with the shockwaves after the accident and how she grew from it and is a stronger woman today despite everything she’s been thri. She lost the most important people in her life (TW) and is still standing. What an inspiration.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book. All opinions are 100% my own
This book was good, but it was nothing spectacular. I liked the side characters, especially Michael, but I felt the main characters were a little bit one dimensional. It felt a bit like the author picked three key facts about each the main characters and left it at that.
I really liked the different timelines and it gave me good stopping points for breaks throughout the book. All the different ‘sections’ were appropriately lengthed and summarised exactly what they needed to.
I’m confused by other reviews which say that Tom’s character and his and Liv’s love story wasn’t necessary? This was a pivotal plot point for me and added another dimension to the book. I love a good love triangle, however, this one could have been explored more beyond one party.
I’ve also seen complaints about the epilogue. I thought this was perfect for rounding out the book and showing different sides to all the plot points.
What a beautiful book full of nods to the past (recent past, some nostalgic feelings there!) and long Summers. The characters are brilliant, with their own quirks and identities, bringing a great mix of humour and heartache to each chapter. And the descriptions! Oh! Each chapter will absolutely make you feel that you’re right there, in Cornwall, in both the past and the present day. Be prepared to have your heart broken by this one though!
Absolutely loved this book!
The authors writing style is amazing!
I look forward to reading more from them!