Alex and Poppy have nothing common, yet a fateful car trip sees them become the very best of friends.
As their lives take them in different directions, they vow they will always spend one week of their summers on vacation together. So, ensues a decade of trips to far flung corners of the world. Until 2-years ago when it all goes terribly wrong, and they haven’t spoken since.
This summer, circumstances have brought the pair back together. But can they repair their friendship whilst ignoring the obvious truth that has always stood between them?
I really enjoyed “Beach Read”, so I was looking forward to this one even though the friends to lovers trope is not one I favour. However, I soon came to find that I was not warming to the main protagonists in the same way.
I felt their antics and refusal to be open with each other hard to believe of characters that were supposedly in their thirties, particularly when it came to Poppy. I was completely on board with her wanderlust and zest for experiencing life, but her outlook and reactions were somewhat better suited to someone fresh out of college. Therefore, as the story was only told from her point of view, I found my eyes aching from the frequency with which I was rolling them, and I would have preferred a little of Alex’s voice to tamp her down.
That said, I still found the story highly readable. It was light and easy-going, with the occasional dip into more serious matters. This novel is perfect for a summer holiday read when you want to switch off and just turn the pages for a couple of hours on the lounger.
* Thanks to Penguin UK, via NetGalley, for this ARC *
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