Summer of Love by Caro Fraser
Published: 31st May 2018
Publisher: Head of Zeus
Pages: 512
Available on Kindle
Rating: 5/5
Blurb
The dark days
of the war are over, but the family secrets they held are only just dawning.
In the hot summer of 1949, a group of family and
friends gather at Harry Denholm's country house in Kent. Meg and Dan Ranscombe,
emerging from a scandal of their own making; Dan's godmother, Sonia; and her
two young girls, Laura and Avril, only one of whom is Sonia's biological
daughter. Amongst the heat, memories, and infatuations, a secret is revealed to
Meg's son, Max, and soon a terrible tragedy unfolds that will have consequences
for them all. Afterwards, Avril, Laura and Max must come of age in a society
still reeling from the war, haunted by the choices of that fateful summer.
Cold, entitled Avril will go to any lengths to take what is hers. Beautiful,
naive Laura finds refuge and love in the London jazz clubs, but Max, with
wealth and unrequited love, has the capacity to undo it all.
Review
Summer of Love is the follow on from Caro Fraser’s brilliant
The Summer House Party from last year. That was a book I adored, and I’ve found
Summer of Love to be just as good if not better.
Summer of Love starts in the summer of 1949, a few years
after the previous book ended. Meg and Dan Ranscombe have gone to visit their
friend Harry Denholm at his new country home in Kent along with son Max and
Sonia Hardon’s two daughters Avril and Laura. One fateful day a secret is
revealed which leads to a horrible accident which has dreadful consequences for
Max, Avril and Laura. As the story unfolds Max, Avril and Laura shake off the
bonds of childhood and go their separate ways in life, only to be drawn back
together a few times over the years.
This is a beautifully written novel which explores the
effects which our parents and our experiences and feelings from our younger
days mould us as adults. Max traumatised by his feelings towards his mother
leads a sheltered life pouring himself into his work in the hope this will keep
his demons at bay. Laura, knowing she was abandoned by her mother as a baby
longs to be loved and her naivety leads her into some difficult situations. Avril,
always feeling pushed out by Laura takes the ultimate revenge when she has the chance
but is still left feeling she’s alone and on the side-lines.
I loved reading how each of these characters changed over
the years experiencing love, loss, betrayal, revenge and forgiveness. Caro Fraser
has written a novel which is wonderfully character driven and guides us
effortlessly from the restrained end of war years to the emergence of the vibrant
atmosphere of the sixties. It’s a novel which covers attitudes to many social
factors including racism, feminism, homosexuality to drug taking and unwanted
pregnancies, all with such eloquent and engaging writing.
This is a novel not to be missed and judging by the way the
ending has been left fairly open ended I’m
hoping there is more to come from the lives of Max, Laura and Avril.
Thank you so much to Head of Zeus for sending me a copy to
review and inviting me to be part of the blog tour, Summer of Love by Caro
Fraser has been a pleasure to read.
About the Author
Caro
Fraser is the author of the bestselling Caper Court novels, based on her own
experiences as a lawyer. She is the daughter of Flashman author George
MacDonald Fraser and lives in London.
Follow Caro
Facebook: @CaroFraserAuthor
Buy links:
Amazon: getbook.at/SummerofLove
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2wIlIC8
Follow Head of Zeus
Website: http://headofzeus.com/
Twitter: @HoZ_Books
Facebook: @HeadofZeus
Instagram: @headofzeus
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