Thea Wynter and her sister Ezzie live a quiet life working at a big house on the Isle of Skye. Thea used to be a bit of a celebrity, appearing on TV in a popular gardening show. Now, she has been very happy to leave that world behind. She loves being a gardener and chooses to not have any social media at all.

Dev Dowie makes his way to Skye to try and find Thea. His business and marriage have both gone bust and he has been reduced to writing tawdry Where Are They Now type articles. He meets Thea when she comes up across him rescuing a puppy. He very quickly decides that he does not want to write the story so does what he can to get out of it.

Thea and her sisters are all adopted and a chance meeting changes everything that she thought she knew about her story. The question is does she want to find the truth now or is it safer to leave sleeping dogs lie. And does she want to take a chance with Dev? And can you really leave the past behind, especially when someone else has a different agenda?

I have read a few Sue Moorcroft books over the last year or so and she is now on my radar for every new release. And when I found out that her latest book was going to be set on the Isle of Skye there was no doubt that I wanted to read it, and not just because we are going to be visiting the island on our Scottish tour in a couple of months time.

I enjoyed the island setting of this book, as well as side trip to Brittany!

This is the first book in a trilogy, which presumably will focus on each of the three sisters. Interestingly, this is the second book about adopted women finding their true identity I have read in a row!

Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy. I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Review blog.

Rating 4/5

We begin with a prologue set in the past, where Thea Wynter is driving a car which crashes into a cyclist called Fredek Kowski. She is on TV in a reality/gardening show called Garden Gladiators and has a live-in boyfriend called Ivan.
Then moving into the present day, we see how things have moved on. Thea is 41 now and lives in Thistledome cottage on the Isle of Skye. It’s a lovely community and she has really made it her home. Thea is Head gardener at Rothach Hall, where her sister Ezzie is the Assistant Manager. They are very close and spend a lot of time together. Her other sister Valentina (46) lives in Scotland with her husband Gary and son Barnaby.
Deveron ‘Dev’ Dowie arrives. He is 42, Scottish and divorced from Adaira. There’s a gorgeous part about a dog which brings Dev into the story and one of my favourite lines where the dog is described as looking “like a teddy bear who had fallen on hard times” – awww!
Dev begins work as a seasonal assistant job at the Hall and he gets closer to Thea. Could there be a romance blooming between them? But he is hiding a secret which Thea would be livid about, if she found out.
The Isle of Skye is a truly beautiful setting for a book and is really well described. I have never been there, but would like to now! At least I enjoyed my little trip there through the pages of this lovely book. I liked all the different characters there too, including Thea’s former landlady Maisie and Thea’s neighbour Fraser who are friends, and both in their eighties. I do like to see a wide range of ages in books. Another thing I really enjoy in novels are realistic animals with their own personalities and there are some wonderful animals in this too, especially Daisy the dog, Clive the donkey and Mary, the elderly pony.
This is the first part of a trilogy focusing on the three sisters and although I loved all the different strands of the book, it was their stories that I was most interested in. The three girls were all adopted and brought up as sisters, but in this book, Thea finally begins to find out more about her past, which sets her off on a journey of discovery. I look forward to finding out more in future books.
Overall, it’s a gorgeous book, one that is easy to get into and the kind of book you look forward to picking up again and finding out what’s going to happen. Sue Moorcroft is a delightful writer. You know if you pick up any of her books, you’re going to be taken on a brilliant journey to a wonderful setting and you’ll meet great characters with intriguing stories to tell. Highly recommended.

Sie Moorcroft never dissapoints. Great characters with depth. Story set in the beautiful place of Skye and a little of it in France. Sisterly bonds and a romance. Can't wait for the next book.

I adored this one so much. The setting is glorious, with the vivid descriptions of the Isle of Skye making it feel so restorative and refreshing and I immediately added it to my bucket list of places I want to visit.
The story itself is entertaining and the romance that simmers between Thea and Dev is delightfully romantic especially coupled with the locale. And then of course there is Daisy, the stray that brought Thea and Dev together in the first place. Being a dog lover I was drawn to her but she was a character all unto herself!
Thea is happy with her life as head gardener and works with her sister and all is well until Dev comes to town to apply for a job and together they save Daisy and have their meet cute that starts their ride to togetherness. Thea was an easy character to like and there are some surprises along the way for the reader. Looking forward to books 2 and 3 of the series

Thanks to Avon Books and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

Under A Summer Skye by Sue Moorcroft

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

A chance encounter is about to change everything for Thea Wynter.

The moment she arrived on the Isle of Skye, life changed for Thea. Running from a succession of wrong turns, she comes to the island in search of blue sea, endless skies, and mountains that make the heart soar. Here, she feels at peace.

As head gardener at Rothach Hall, life is exactly how she wants it, with her days spent working in the glorious clifftop garden and her evenings in the cosy local village.

But an encounter with a stranger from the mainland brings with it an unexpected turn – and only time will tell if he is friend or foe.

It seems that even on Skye, life can catch up with you, and Thea is soon faced with the past she left behind – and with it, the family she’s never met…

My Opinion

This is the first book in a new trilogy by Sue Moorcroft and it was a delightful read. I finished this in one sitting as it was just so easy to keep turning the pages. With a lovely, peaceful setting Under A Summer Skye was an entertaining read, with some fabulous characters.

When Deveron is introduced as an undercover journalist it is clear that there is a secret to be uncovered but I really enjoyed how it is revealed. From the opening chapters I knew that I was hooked. Hopefully we don't have to wait too long for the next book in this trilogy.

Rating 4/5

This is the first book in a series about 3 sisters, this one focussing on Thea.

Although romance is not my usual choice of genre, I found it to be a good summer read, a nice bit of escapism and a change from murder and mystery, my usual book choices!

The scenery is beautifully described, the characters are well crafted and while it is a pretty predictable happy ever after story, I’m sure romance lovers will thoroughly enjoy it. 4*

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy in return for an honest review.

This is a beautifully written book which is part of a 3 book series which is based on the Scottish Isle of Skye. Sue takes the reader on a wonderful journey of the Island with a romantic theme but also portraying the Island in exquisite detail. The storyline follows Thea Wynter Head gardener at Rothach Hall ( she used to be a TV personality until she was involved in an accident and needed to withdraw from the pressures of being on TV) Her sister Essie also worked at the hall as an assistant manager. She thoroughly enjoy’s working there and it’s exactly what she needs. But the unfortunate thing is that the past has a way of catching up with her and the details of the accident comes to the surface in an unsuspecting way when a former journalist Deveron Dowie comes into her life working for a website that will threaten Thea’s anonymity. They form a relationship without Dev informing Thea of his involvement to trace her past. I would highly recommend this book as it covers so many different topics. Really looking forward to the second book in this series

Always a pleasure to read a new story for Sue Moorcroft and this the first book in the Skye sisters trilogy is a brilliant start to a new series.
I loved the beautiful descriptions of the gardens and house at Rothach Hall and the new life Thea and Ezzie had established sounded so peaceful. The details of the work Thea and her team completed in the garden so much of the story.
The sister’s relationship was strong and close and obviously important to both of them and to Valentina.
Emotions ran through out the story as Thea learned the truth about her family and what that meant to her as well as past troubles coming back to haunt her.

4.5 stars, I really enjoyed this book. Thea was a fantastic character and I really appreciated her want for just a simple nice quiet life. The description of Skye most definitely made me want to go there and the hall sounded amazing. I enjoyed the romance though I really wished they would communicate a bit better but then that's always my wish with the conflict in romances. I definitely enjoyed the side plot with Thea and her birth mother, that felt really emotional. Very much looking forward to the next books in the trilogy.

Thank you to @rachelsrandomresources for inviting us onto this book tour.

This is the first in a series of 3 based on 3 sisters who have been adopted as babies and their parents died years ago but now after many years their real parents are starting to appear in their life's.

Thea moved to skye with her sister esmerelda but their other sister valentina lives in Edinburgh she is a lawyer and does not know the real reason her 2 sisters moved to skye.

About 9 years ago Thea found a cyclist in the Road she swore she was not driving and got breathalysed and she was fine but the guy on the bike is now a influencer and uses this to make money she just wants to be left in peace and to get on with her life.

But when deveron appears at the big estate where she works and says he's looking for a job as a gardener and rescues a puppy that becomes a part of both their lives can they both move on.

I loved this story and how their friendship develops and how Thea finds out about her mum and how the story unravels I loved all the characters and can not wait for the next book in the series.

Under a Summer Skye is the first in a trilogy featuring the Skye Sisters.

Thea Wynter is loving her life as head gardener at Rothach Hall on the Isle of Skye, having made the move from Suffolk following a traumatic event nine years before – the intriguing prologue relating to this had me hooked. She has her own cottage, Thistledome, and spends time with her sister Ezzie, who also works at Rothach as assistant manager. However her peace is to be disturbed by a stranger and a rescued dog.

I loved the vivid and evocative descriptions of Skye and the author’s research trips bring the location to life. I’ve enjoyed holidays to Scotland before but have never been to that part however it is definitely a wishlist destination. Not only Skye but also the delightful looking Quimper, across the channel in Brittany, is also a tempting proposition after the story takes us there.

I so enjoyed getting to know Thea, the youngest of the three Wynter sisters. The eldest, lawyer Valentina lives with her family on the Scottish mainland and having had this introduction to the sisters, I’m looking forward to following their stories in future books. Thea was an easy character to like and engage with and certainly didn’t deserve all the unwanted attention she received from someone in her past. Having appeared on TV years before as part of a gardening/reality show, Thea was no stranger to publicity however now she just wants to live privately and quietly. All is not quite what it seems though and there are some surprises along the way for the reader.

As to be expected with a Sue Moorcroft book, there is a rather hot male lead. Deveron (Dev) Dowie, the ‘accidental gardener’ was well suited to Thea. Both may have made unwise decisions but ultimately they were good people with a natural charm. It is clear to the reader from the outset why Dev is at the Hall and I was on tenterhooks waiting for the inevitable fallout. Thea’s story and her history is the main focus here but there is more besides. The family unit is an important part of the story however that may be formed. The question of identity is raised, and how do we become the people that we are. Is it through genes or nurture.

There is more than just romance here with other background themes including the use and toxicity of social media to make money from someone else’s distress. And there is an adorable dog – I defy anyone not to fall in love with Daisy.

This was a warm and engrossing read from an author who never disappoints. With its superb location, well crafted characters, drama and romance, I thoroughly enjoyed this and I’m definitely there for books 2 and 3.

Sue Moorcroft - Under A Summer Skye.
(Book 1 in the Skye Sisters trilogy)

Welcome to a brand new series from Sue Moorcroft.
As the title suggests, the book is set on the idyllic isle of Skye.

The book begins with a dark and intriguing prologue, that reeled me in immediately.

Fast forward a number of years, and we catch up with tv gardener Thea. Thea now lives a quiet life out of the spotlight, as head gardener at Rothach Hall, on the Isle of Skye.

A peaceful working day is interrupted for Thea when she spots what appears to be a trespasser.
As Thea confronts Dev, his reason for being there is seemingly innocent.
He’s had his own rough journey in life, but what is his true motivation for being on the Isle Of Skye?

The past is soon calling and it could destroy Thea and other members of her family.

There are some wonderful and thought provoking threads to this story. Combined with a warm hearted community feel and a cute canine … what more could we ask for?

I adored this book. There is a colourful mix of characters who all spring into life from each page.

The plot is engaging and kept me reading late into the night.

#UnderASummerSkye is a cracking read! It’s full of warmth, heart, love, family, loyalty and all those special touches that make this a classic Sue Moorcroft novel.

I am not so patiently awaiting book 2 in this gorgeous trilogy.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The book is set on the Isle of Skye in Scotland, and the descriptions of the environment are glorious. I challenge anyone who reads this not to want to hop on an aeroplane and go there.

The main character is Thea, the head gardener at Rothach Hall. When Dev arrives and unexpectedly ends up as one of the seasonal gardeners, the chemistry between them is undeniable.

What is great about the plot is that the reader knows from the outset the real reason behind Dev being at the hall, and it was obvious that sooner or later, this would become apparent and have a huge impact on the burgeoning relationship between them. The author has created a cast of believable characters, not just in Thea and Dev but also in the secondary characters too. Pivotal to Thea and Dev meeting is Daisy the dog, who is a wonderful addition to the story.

Ms. Moorcroft has a story-tellers instinct, and she conveys this on the page extremely well. Anyone who enjoys contemporary fiction will love this book every bit as much as I did.

Set on the Isle of Skye Thea has moved there to take up a post of head gardener in a bit to escape her past. Along comes Dev who Thea mistakenly believes is there to take up a post on the estate, not realising he could be the one who exposes her families past and secrets. A heartwarming story with twists, turns and romance. The perfect summer holiday read

This book begins with a particularly intriguing and dramatic prologue – an introduction to Thea and a life-changing incident in Suffolk, nine years earlier – that immediately drew me into her story. We then find her having left her former life as a recognisable face on a TV gardening programme, travelling North together with sister Ezzie, now living a far quieter life while working as head gardener at Rothach Hall on the Isle of Skye – and this book’s sense of place is absolutely stunning, with the most beautiful descriptions of the setting that now nurtures her troubled soul.

We learn that she’s one of three sisters, all adopted, and that fact drives a significant – and tremendously engaging – part of the developing story, with that fine emotional touch that always distinguishes the author’s writing. But that’s not the only strand. A coincidence, an unexpected bit of drama and a touch of heroics brings Deveron into her life – a man who just happens to be in the right place at the right time, who takes up a seasonal gardening job at the Hall, and their friendship slowly develops – but he’s a man with a few hidden secrets, and when they surface it seems inevitable that the trust between them will be damaged beyond repair. But both of them have made mistakes in their lives, and need to handle the consequences – and I really liked the way the writing shared their separate perspectives and moral dilemmas, making them both immensely likeable and sympathetic.

The whole story is an emotional one, beautifully told – and it introduces a number of serious and complex issues, all so well researched and very sensitively handled, while never losing sight of the very real tenderness of the developing and perhaps ill-fated romance. The writing is just wonderful – their relationship was one I really believed in and I found their story compelling, entirely caught up by the unexpected twists and turns in their lives, desperately wanting them to have their happy ending.

There’s a strong focus on family and its many complications, which is something I always enjoy – and while Thea’s own story takes centre stage, I’ll look forward to getting to know the two other adopted sisters better, both particularly intriguing and well-drawn characters. But there’s plenty of lightness to this story too – gentle touches of humour, with much of it arising from the antics of the lovely four-legged Daisy, whose own story also brings a few touches of the unexpected.

I’ve enjoyed every book that the author has ever written, but this was one I loved – the story, the setting, the individuals at the story’s core and the emotional impact were all quite exceptional, and I really couldn’t recommend it more.

Sue Moorcroft is one of my favourite authors. Her novels are filled with emotion and romance but are always very thought-provoking too. This is the start of a trilogy with each book featuring one of three adoptive sisters: Thea, Ezzie and Valentina. Under a Summer Skye focusses on Thea’s story.

Thea is a gardener on the Rothach estate on the beautiful Isle of Skye. I thought that the author’s descriptions of Rothach hall, the estate, the village, Thistledome Cottage and the Sleat peninsula were wonderful. It really is a stunningly beautiful island and although I must admit it’s not always blue skies like on the cover, it was scorching the last time we went to Skye. This book has certainly put me in the mood for a return visit.

Thea used to be on a tv gardening programme but following a traffic accident, which wasn’t her fault, she wanted to make a fresh start out of the public eye and moved to Skye. She thought her past was well and truly behind her but two strands of her past catch up with her over the course of the novel. Firstly, there’s a journalist snooping about trying to bring the story back into the limelight again. Then there’s a friend of her adoptive mother who it seems might be able to tell her a little about her birth mother.

Enter the love interest, Deveron. Now Dev wasn’t entirely being honest with Thea but as he fell for her charms, he tried to hide what he was really on Skye for. I won’t tell you about that of course, you’ll need to find out for yourself. I felt that Dev was in quite a difficult situation but I was dreading what would happen when his secret came out as inevitably it must.

We really see the bad side of social media in this book and my heart went out to Thea. She only wanted to live a quiet life but it seemed that other people just wouldn’t let this happen. With her story splashed all over the internet again, it didn’t take long for the ‘trolls’ to get really nasty. It seemed that Thea might lose everything she held dear with very lihttps://www.netgalley.co.uk/member/book/309271/review#ttle way of contradicting what was said about her or putting her side of the story. Not that she really wanted to, she just wanted to get on with her life.

There was an interesting storyline too about Thea birth family and the dilemma she had about whether to find out more about them or not. Sue Moorcroft really showed the conflicting emotions her characters felt and the dilemmas they had around what was the right things to do regarding their birth families. It’s clearly not an easy thing for either parent or child.

I must just mention too the use of Scots dialect in the book. I felt that Sue Moorcroft judged this perfectly so that any Scots words in the narrative appeared very natural. Sometimes I feel non- Scots authors are so keen to emphasise the Scottishness of their characters that they can over-do it making the characters seem stereotypical and twee. Not so here. I never felt that any of the dialogue of the Scottish characters was jarring in any way.

Having so enjoyed Thea’s story, I am already looking forward to finding out about Ezzie and Valentina. I think the next book will be set around Christmas time so am looking forward to spending Christmas on Skye. Wouldn’t that be lovely?

This was bitter sweet, a very emotional romance which somehow combined old fashioned living outdoors as a gardener on a historical property and living life with sisters, with the nightmare of social media and clickbait websites. The mix was lovely and done in a rather tender way. The pure love for a new dog, the romance of someone who felt that lift might have passed them by and the raw fear of changes in the story of Thea's upbringing are beautifully told. A real whimsical read for me, with all the perils of the nasty end of journalism running through it. Read this book!

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review. "Under a Summer Skye" by Sue Moorcroft is my first foray into her work, but I fell instantly for her writing style and the story was just right for a light summer escapism read. Sue has swiftly made it onto favourite authors list. This delightful romance, set against the stunning backdrop of the Scottish Isle of Skye, offers a perfect blend of warmth, intrigue, and heart.

The story centres on Thea Wynter, who, after being involved in a traumatic accident nine years ago that ended her brief stint as a TV star, now finds solace as the head gardener at Rothach Hall working alongside her older sister Ezzie. However we soon learn that the sisters are hiding a potentially devastating secret, when an awful celeb website dedicated to 'where are they now' stories uncovers Thea's location the sisters become panicked there secret will come out.

A handsome stranger Deveron Downie, a former sports journalist appears in their lives and Thea feels an instant attraction however unbeknown to her Dev was working for the very website that threatens Thea's anonymity.

Their budding relationship is fraught with challenges, not least of which is Dev's own secret that could shatter Thea's trust. The novel beautifully navigates their journey, exploring themes of redemption, trust, and the power of truth. Alongside the romance, the book delves into serious topics such as adoption, drink driving, criminal liability, and the influence of internet trolls, adding depth and realism to the narrative.

Despite these heavier themes, the heart of the book remains its warm and hopeful romance. Thea and Dev's story is one of overcoming misunderstandings and finding new beginnings, and it leaves readers cheering for their happily ever after.

"Under a Summer Skye" is a wonderfully engaging read that has left me eagerly anticipating the next installment in this trilogy. I am also excited to dive into Sue Moorcroft's other works, adding them to my ever-growing TBR pile.

A lovely romance set in a beautiful location. There were many threads to this story such as Thea’s childhood, her past and Dev’s secrets but they all weaved together to create a great story.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

Thea has run away for a quiet simple life in Skye until her past rushes up to catch her. She's also about to learn about her early life and all that might mean. PLus there's a cute guy to get to know.

Aww I do like a Sue Moorcroft novel. I've read a couple of festive ones and they're so good. This was another great one. A sweet summer romance in a gorgeous location. I've always wanted to visit Skye. The plot is interesting and its more than just one story which I liked. I also loved the little twist around the accident. The ending is really well done and finished the story well. Thea is a sweet lead and I like the strength she shows through the book. A fun read for the beach.