REVIEW
cw: death, grief, mentions of suicide, CA, child neglect and abandonment, depression, mental and other illnesses
Sculptor Liv and musician Finn seem to have the world at their feet, until one night changes everything. Six years later, the mysterious Tom arrives in Liv's Cornish village. Seven Summers tells the story of two love stories.
I found the first half of the story difficult to get into, even though I liked all of the characters. There was a lot of flashing backwards and forwards, which made it more difficult for me to truly feel emotionally invested in the love stories. That said, when I eventually did, my emotions were all over the place! The second half of the story kept me guessing about the ending, but I did sometimes get frustrated with Liv's inability to ever leave Cornwall (even though I understood why she thought she couldn't). Liv's older brother Michael had Downs Syndrome, and he was very well-written. I particularly loved his astuteness over Finn and his interrogation of Tom about aviation. I also adored his brotherly protectiveness. The study of how different people deal with grief and guilt was well-observed. Liv and her brother dealt with their grief very differently. Finn's was more complex, but equally well-written. I loved how Tom was so steady with his emotions for Liv, and their story was beautifully told. I loved how supportive Finn always was, and his story took me on such a rollercoaster of emotions. I sobbed several times.
It's hard to explain my full feelings about Finn and Tom without spoiling the ending, so I'll just say that I loved one immediately and grew to adore the other, and, while sometimes the characters frustrated me, they definitely made the right choices in hindsight.
A slow-burning story of love and overcoming loss.

Overall Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Heat Rating: 🔥

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book, all opinions are my own*


Favourite Quotes:

I have to be careful. My heart is still a mangled thing. Finn threatens to bring it to life and I’m not ready.

‘I’d already lived every day in fear, wondering how she was next going to hurt herself, hurt us. In some ways it was a relief when she chose to leave.’

'I think you need to know that I’m not going to wait for you on the off chance that you’ll come back.’
'I will come back, Liv, but, as before, I don’t expect you to wait for me.’
'I don’t expect you to wait for me either.’

‘Is it strange that you and I can fall into such easy step with each other after so long apart?’ I ask out of the blue.
'I think it’s miraculous,’

I like the way he looks at me, how seen he makes me feel. I’ve lived with a hollowness inside my heart for so long, but I don’t feel empty when I’m with him. My heart feels full.

‘When I say something, I tend to mean it. You don’t need to doubt me.’

'Life is too short at the best of times and I intend to live it as fully as possible.'

Another wonderful love story from Paige Toon which had me fully immersed in the pages from start to finish. Great location along with brilliant characters which kept me turning the pages.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in return for an honest review.

I don't know how Paige Toon does this every single time? Another story of great loves and loss that wrench your heart out and leave you with a story that will stay with you for a long time!

Seven Summers is a love story across time set in a small village in Cornwall. Fabulous characters, but a lot of loss and heartache. Highly recommend if you like a book to get emotionally dragged into.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for the ARC of this book. Best of luck with the release!

This book was beautiful. Heartbreakingly beautiful.

Finn and Liv's relationship over 7 years was slow-building, painful, warming, and perhaps not meant to be. The instant chemistry between the two, and the emotion that then builds is twisted with their own losses and tragedies.

When mystery stranger Tom rents her downstairs apartment, there is at last a chance to move on. But Tom is hiding a painful secret, and Finn has a habit of turning back up each summer.

This was written exceptionally well, and at no point is there a love triangle. Each man moved me in different ways, and there are honestly no bad guys in this, just bad timing, and life getting in the way.

Bittersweet, beautiful and poignant, filled with love, loss and a journey to acceptance and finding who you are meant to be. Another fantastic book from Paige Toon.

It is several years since I read a book by Paige Toon, and I cannot think of a reason why I waited so long to reconnect with her books.
With some books you just know that you will enjoy it b6 reading only.a couple of pages, this is one of those books!
Set in St Agnes, Cornwall, this story centres around Liv, her life, her friends, her choices, her ambitions and her heartbreaks.
All the characters are easy to visualise and bring to life so that it becomes simple to slip into their world.
This is a very good read but I suspect that once you start reading you will not want to put it down.

Another great book by Paige
Had me hooked from the first page till the last
Her books are just amazing and brilliant
And this one is one of my favourites
Thanks NetGalley

I loved the setting of this book, it made me want to pack up my belongings and move to Cornwall. Liv was a beautiful character, she had such charisma and I loved her determination in what she wanted to do as a vocation.

Reading Liv’s journey in life and love was both enjoyable and emotional. She went through and overcame so much and deserved to find the love she wanted. I found it both frustrating and understandable her complicated relationship with Finn.

Tom on the other hand oh I rooted for him, I could picture his character more (I was getting Channing Tatum vibes) than Finn’s. I loved his characteristics and the way he was around Liv. Tom is a mystery that Liv is trying to uncover.

Whilst there were some triggers for me, I did love how Paige dealt with disabilities and trauma, giving it a true light and giving the reader more understanding.

The story was a rollercoaster of emotions and even though it wasn’t the ending I wanted in my heart I did appreciate it all the same.

Love Paige Toon's novels. This is about 7 summers in Liv's life. Liv first meets Finn 7 summers ago but he then moves to LA to fulfil his music career. He comes back every summer for the anni9versary of Livs parents death. Liv then tells Finn that it's too difficult for her. He won't move back and she wont mover there. She then meets Tom but still has feeling for Finn

Heartwarming heartbreaking, evocative, understated - so many ways to describe this haunting novel. I adored it. Long standing friendships, history, possibility, just good people in such a beautiful part of the world.

This is a love triangle between Liv and Tom and Finn, both men have a claim on her heart.

The novel weaves backwards and forwards through the summers in the coastal community of St Agnes in Cornwall, UK. Big things happen in just a sentence. I love how Paige can condense emotions and events into just the essentials. The language is lush at times, but also spare - sometimes the biggest events are told in the fewest words. No spoilers but this is a read where you need to pay attention.

Both Tom and Finn are complicated, and offer different things to Liv. What I loved was not just how brave she was, but also smart. She chose the love that was right there in front of her, breathing her air. Yes, tragic things happened and happen, but she’s resilient and steadfast (can I say sensible?) and follows her instincts. Liv’s is an eventful life, but it feels so real, it’s not dramedy, or full of bad decisions, it just is.

Can we navigate two big loves in one life?

Thank you so much NetGalley and Random House for the ARC. I’ll be re-reading this more than once.

Paige Toon is one of my all-time favourite authors and I was so excited when I received an arc of Seven Summers. At first I was struggling to get into the story and connecting with the characters took me a while. However, once I’d gotten into the book it was just as good as pretty much all her other novels and I can always count on Paige Toon to make me emotional and move me to tears with her writing.

I had never heard of Paige Toon, but the blurb for this book intrigued me, and I’m so glad I gave it a chance. This book took me through every emotion and back again and I loved it.

The story tells of Liv, who met Finn 6 summers ago. A tragedy leaves Liv stuck in the Cornwall village she wanted to leave, and Finn can’t stay, so the end of the summer sees them parting ways. For the next 6 summers Finn comes back to spend a few weeks with Liv, which is so hard on them both. Finn wants Liv to leave with him, but she can’t , and she wants him to stay but he can’t. After the 6 summers, Finn meets someone else, which is devastating for Liv – until she meets Tom. Tom seems like the perfect man for her, and wants to stay in Cornwall for her, but there are influences beyond his control, and their happiness can all come crashing down at any minute.

A beautiful story which doesn’t finish in the present, after the aforementioned 7 summers, but carries on into the future so you can see what Liv’s future looks like, and whether she gets her ‘happy ever after’. A beautiful story, well told, which may leave you an emotional wreck – but it’s so worth it!

Another winner from Paige Toon….

Liv falls in love with rock musician Finn. With his ripped t-shirts, tousled locks and green eyes he has her heart captured.
But Finn’s life is in the US while Liv’s is in Cornwall and so their romance goes from summer to summer until they have to make a decision. Give up on love or leave their world’s behind?

I just love Paige’s writing. The main characters are believable themselves but it’s the other characters surrounding them that brings the story to life. Warm, at times funny and at other points I had to let the tears flow.

I was not expecting to devour this book like I did. I am a bit embarrassed to say that this was my first Paige Toon novel, however I will most definitely pick some up in the future to read because this was simply beautiful.

You first meet Liv, who's an aspiring sculptor, she lives in Cornwall with her parents and brother, Michael, who has Down syndrome. Everyone knows everyone in this small town, so it's no wonder that all her friends have known each other since they were very young. Then in comes Finn, tall, skinny and thin who plays the guitar and writes songs. They hit it off after a summer of getting to know each other and one night they finally hit it off, but Finn has to leave back to LA. So they say if they're both single next summer they will meet again, however Liv did not foresee the heartache it would bring to see him come back and leave every year. For 6 years.

And one year he does not return.

Then Liv meets Tom, he arrives randomly in her town and rents the flat that she's letting. She is finally feeling something after her heartbreaks. But can she fully get over Finn? Or is she still hanging on to what she wish they had? Can Tom make her forget about him and finally make her happy?

I will say that I did not expect it to end like it did. I am so happy Liv got the happy ending she deserved, even if I was quite surprised. But this book will make you feel so many things. it will rip your heart to shreds just to put it back together and destroy it again several times before finally making it whole. I love the reality of it and a bit of irony in there. I will definitely recommend everyone and anyone to pick it up and reading it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Paige Toon for sending me this ARC.

Seven summers was a heart-wrenching read, the author certainly knows how to pull on those emotional heartstrings.

I loved the characters and the setting, the storyline wasn't perfect but even for an old cynic like me Seven Summers worked. It transported me back to summers of my youth, I could feel the salt and sand in my hair and I wanted to be at bar come restaurant Seaglass along with the regulars.

Beautiful surroundings, characters you can't help but fall in love with, if you're young this book will feed your imagination, if you're old it'll make you nostalgic. A great summer read to lose yourself in.

My thanks to Random House UK and NetGalley for the advance copy, all opinions expressed are my own.

Seven summers is the latest novel by veteran summer reading go to Paige Toon. Set in fictional Cornish village St Agnes sculptor Liv is home from a studying in Italy, spending her summer working at the nearby bar when she sees Finn, temporary lead singer of a local rock band. We drop into Liv's summers meeting her friends, family and lovers for the next few years as she navigates through tragedy and triumphs in personal and professional life. An engaging and enjoyable holiday read.
Thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy of this work.

Liv and Finn meet in Cornwall and immediately have a connection BUT he lives and has his career in the US and she can’t leave Cornwall for family reasons. They meet every so often when he comes back to see family and can’t seem to give one another up yet feel there is no future for them. I found myself wondering what I would do if faced with such a dilemma and the descriptions of Cornwall made me want to visit.
A lovely summer read

I absolutely loved this book.
A beautifully written love story, after a tragedy binds them together, Liv and Finn promise to spend summers together if they are still single.
It tugs on your heartstrings, with a rollercoaster of emotions I was totally hooked and couldn’t put this book down. The story switches from past to present summers as we follow Liv, Finn and Tom’s journeys. I loved the relationship between Liv and her brother Michael, and Liv and Tom’s story was just brilliantly heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. I also like the descriptions of the beautiful Cornish coast.
Overall, a sweet, charming romance about love, grief and loss. It didn’t disappoint. Definitely recommend.
With thanks to #NetGallery #RandomHouseUK @Cornerstone for an arc of #SevenSummers by @PaigeToon in exchange for a honest review.
Book publishes 28 March 2024.

This book. I genuinely binged this book in a day because I was so engrossed and wanted to see how it was going to end. It was very Emily Henry-esque and gave me major One True Love vibes by Taylor Jenkins Reid. It is captivating nature and ability to tug on the heart-strings for chapters upon chapters. At first I was like I'm not really invested but the minute things started to go not the way I wanted I was ready to launch my kindle across the room. I was screaming you can't make two people fall in love epically and then destroy it. I was in tears because I didn't want what was happening to happen.

Then 15 pages later, I was accepting it because it was what was meant to happen and it made me happy. The way that epilogue was written was to perfection, it was like yeah that happened you probably don't like me that much but I promise it will all make sense and work out, and it did. Everything that happened meant to.

I fluctuated with my rating for this book because at the point of not feeling invested it was like a 3.5, then when it wasn't going my way it was like a 1 but once everything resolved I couldn't decide. I think the books that make you hate them, love them and care for them all at the same time, is an incredible book.

I fell in love with Finn and Liv and Tom, I loved them all, this book had my heart, broke it, destroyed it some more and then pieced it back together with that epilogue <3

I don’t know how Paige does it but with just a few words she fills me with nostalgia and a yearning for the all-consuming emotions of first love.

The story of Liv, told predominantly over a particular 7 summers, as she reconnects with Finn and they build a relationship.

Unimaginable tragedy strikes and Liv tries to find a way through, with Finn ever present in her mind.

This is an all-engrossing story of love and loss, and learning to live with different kinds of love, as Liv starts a new relationship.

I was thoroughly swept up in Liv’s relationships as Paige brings us to St Agnes, Beach Cottage, and Seaglass, introducing us to some lovely characters.

Another absolute winner. Be prepared to be thrown headlong into passionate, all-consuming love and to have your heart broken and mended again .

And also, have Spotify open to listen to the playlist of Liv and Finn.

Absolutely stunning book I just loved it, love and heartbreak. This book was beautiful right from the start and once I started it I couldn’t put it down. I just loved all of the characters in this book but I felt for Liv, so much heartbreak for one woman but as well as the heartbreak she was also lucky that she had love.

I loved Liv and Finn, but my heart went to Tom he was a beautiful man. I loved all the friends and family but Michael Liv’s brother was so funny but he also looked out for his baby sister it was beautiful and he took no prisoners.

I love Paige Toon’s books and this book was no exception I loved it so much that I was sorry that it finished as I just wanted it to go on and on but I know it can’t do that. This book was absolutely beautiful and I would highly recommend reading this book but if you are a softy like me you might need some tissues, there is sadness but there is also humour and love, it’s just beautiful and heartwarming.

I would also like to thank NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for letting me read and review this book early, Thank you so much!