After reading a lot of three star reads lately, I was really in the mood for a book that would blow my mind and I wouldn’t be able to put down. And ever since I saw the beautiful cover of ‘Summer’s Lease’ by Carrie Elks, I knew this was a book I wanted to read. It looked so pretty, and the book description sounded so good.

In ‘Summer’s Lease’ we meet Cesca Shakespeare. Cesca is a twenty year old who is trying to get by on her own in London. Ever since Cesca’s dream ended horribly 6 years ago, Cesca is trying to stay strong and move on. But when she losses yet another job, she starts to think things will never get better. So when her godfather offers Cesca the chance to go to Italy for the summer, to stay in a rich guys house, the choice is easily made. Hoping Cesca will be able to start writing again, Cesca goes into her new adventure with her hopes high. But when the rich guy’s son suddenly decides to get away for the summer too, things get heated very fast.

Well, I can’t say anything else before I tell you guys how much I loved this book! I loooooved it. Not only is ‘Summer’s Lease’ a nice, sweet and very romantic read, I also loved the main characters and their stories. From the moment I started reading this book, I couldn’t put it down, and it was exactly what I needed.

The two main characters Cesca and Sam are really great and totally different. Cesca is poor, and trying to get by one meal after another. Sam is a famous Hollywood actor who is followed by paparazzi everywhere. But despite all their differences, they have one thing in common: they both want to get away from their life for a while.
This book was definitely very romantic, but also very funny at times. It really put a smile on my face, and I really felt like I personally knew these characters.

I love everything about this book. I loved the story, I loved the characters, I loved the scene in Italy and I loved the chemistry between Cesca and Sam. It was just such a great novel I didn’t want it to end.
Although I’ve only been to Milan, Italy ones for work last year, and I didn’t get to see a lot of the country, I always wanted to visit more of this beautiful land. I’ve heard some great things about the beautiful lakes and landscapes in Italy. And this book definitely made me want to grab a bag and go there. It really was that good.

The author did a great job on developing the characters and the scenery. And since Cesca is one out of four sisters, I’m really hoping there will be more books about the Shakespeare sisters. I for one can’t wait to read more!

If I was to describe this book (which is, after all, the point of a review), I would say that it is a gently elegant love story.

The eloquent story telling is as beautiful as the Italian countryside it is set in.  The narrative is one that is easy to get lost in and the characters are witty, frustrating and completely entrancing.

Hugely enjoyable.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.

4.5 - The rich movie star and the impoverished writer... It would make a good story. Stars!

It’s no secret that I am a huge fan of Carrie Elks’ writing, so learning that there was a whole new sparkly series on the way, it's safe to say I was beyond excited.

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Summers Lease is the first book in the The Shakespeare Sisters series, and the author delivered the all-round enjoyable read that I have come to expect from her writing.

The Shakespeare sisters were like flowers scattered in the wind...

None more so than Cesca, while her sisters Kitty and Juliet are living their lives in the US and her other sibling Lucy in Scotland, she is drifting from dead end job, to unemployment, to new digs with unerring regularity. Six years roving from one dead-end opportunity to the next. She believes due to the actions of one man; Sam Carlton, now a Hollywood A-list actor.

"You have the theater in your blood, yet you have been running away from it for six years..."

After her fist theatrical production bombs, mainly due to the loss of its lead Actor (Carlton) Cesca has lost the inspiration for writing. Pretty much forced to travel to Lake Como to house sit for some friends of her Uncle; Cesca settles in to try and recover the creativity that has lain dormant for so long in the picturesque Italian surroundings. Little does she know that the owner of Villa Palladino is the mother of her arch nemesis. So you can guess how well their reintroduction goes when he unexpectedly turns up with his own ideas of spending some time under-the-radar at the Villa, especially when its obvious that initially he has no idea who she is.

Had he done this..? Been the one to steal away her happiness, her hopes, and her big dream? The thought was like a black cloud in his mind. No wonder she hated him so much.

Enemies-to-lovers, is one of my favorite tropes, and the author handled the animosity from Cesca towards Sam really well, there were a few moments where I really wanted to just shake the pair of them, especially with a few added hurdles along the way, making their path towards love and happiness less than smooth sailing.

"I can’t go back and make up for what I did, but I can fight for you... I’ll do whatever it takes."

This book was like a bag of cinema popcorn, salty in parts, sweet in others, and then at points the perfect mix of the two. Carrie set up the series well with this opener, in that you are introduced to all the Shakespeare family, but not enough that you aren’t left guessing, as to where their stories may take them. With a Richard Curtis worthy ending and a really great epilogue, I cannot recommend this read highly enough to add to your summer reading list.

ARC generously provided via Netgalley, in exchange for the above honest review.

Carrie Elks brings us an enemies-to-lovers romance for the first in her Shakespeare Sisters series, introducing us to Cesca Shakespeare; a playwright trying to quash a bad bout of writers block by exchanging London for Lake Como.

"...your parents have employed me to look after this house, and that’s exactly what I intend to do. So in the morning you need to leave."

Having enjoyed many of Carrie's previous books I'd have happily dived in blind and admittedly I had high hopes. Don't get me wrong, Summer's Lease wasn't a difficult read but it felt as if it was unsure of where it belonged on the shelf—whether it should sit in with the chicklit/women's fiction or amongst the NA.

"Every time she saw him she acted like a child."

Up until the 60% mark, I struggled to become invested in our couple although it was Cesca who was the main sticking point for me: I love a heroine with an independent, feisty streak and there's no taking that away from her, but on the flip side I'm not a particular fan of immaturity and when she meets Sam, she ventures into that territory a tad too often for my liking. Sam however balanced things out being more endearing and, although I wouldn't say he swept me off my feet, I appreciated his gentle, strong yet vulnerable nature and how unaffected he was by his Hollywood status, simply craving peace, quiet and anonymity whilst harbouring his own secrets.

"A juicy little scandal is box office magic."

This was a book that grew on me as the story developed, as did the chemistry and heat between Sam and Cesca. But for all the story elements that worked for me such as the lovely ambience Carrie has created with descriptive Italian surroundings, there were those that did less so: I would have liked to have seen more of Varenna through the eyes of this couple as a story can be set indoors anywhere in the world, and developments involving a particular secondary character, who seemed inserted for no other reason than to cause romantic conflict and be walked over.

"Tell me they have a happily-ever-after."

What upped the anti was the injection of some angst and drama heading into the final stretch bringing with it that emotional angle I needed, but all the positives just came too late on in the day for me to rate this any higher. Nevertheless, I am interested to see what lies in store for the three remaining Shakespeare sisters—you can already see the strong bond they have despite the miles separating them—and irrespective of my thoughts, the foundations have been well laid, so definitely worth checking out for yourself.

A lovely book, telling the tale of Cesca Shakespeare, a penniless playwright with writers' block. Delicately woven with 3 loving sisters, a wonderful godfather and an eccentric father, Cesca escapes to Italy as "a favour" and there the magic begins.

I fell in love with the magical nature of the villa by Lake Como and all that happens there. Warning there are scenes of a sexual nature - which were a little graphic in places - but overall this didn't detract from the book (though somewhat uncomfortable to read on the Tube at 8 o'clock in the morning)!!

The use of quotes from William Shakespeare at the beginning of each chapter raised the novel up a notch- drawing allusions as to what was to happen in the chapter ahead (though if you're not a Shakespeare fan then they won't be quite so lovely)

Really enjoyable - a great read for any time of year, but especially the summer. 4*

5 Stars!!!

I was given this book in turn for an honest review.

Looking after her Uncle's, friend's, Villa for the summer is an easy task. What could possibly go wrong? Or could everything possibly go, right?

Summer's Lease swelled my heart and filled it full of love. It's a beautiful story that I found unable to put down. From start to finish Carrie Elk's kept me captivated and enthralled in Cesca and Sam's story. Her story felt as real as watching it play out before my very eyes, as if I was living their story with them. I could feel the summer sun of Italy, taste the delights of Italian food, and feel the connection that Cesca and Sam shared.

I loved Cesca with her witty charm and outspoken personality. She was down on her luck and from start to finish I willed for her to finally catch a break, a break she long deserved. Her soul had taken a beating, and she needed someone to open her eyes, once again, to the dream she had long forgotten.

Sam Calton is the character you are lead to think is one you'll hate, then slowly fall for; surprisingly I fell for him the moment he was introduced. He was another troubled soul with a story to tell, and although charming in an arrogant way, the real Sam was a considerate and caring man, a characteristic that he tried to hide.

Cesca and Sam's story is one I won't forget, it's a story about true love, self-discovery and living your dream, not allowing the world to define who you are; however, this romance is not without its heartache and pain.

This story is for ALL romance readers out there. You won't regret buying Summer's Lease by Carrie Elk.

This an easy read, with great characters and set in a beautiful country; it has it all. I really loved the characters, loved the angst and the conflicts, the hope and the romance. Just loved it! It is a light Summer read by Carrie Elks, perfect for lying on the beach or sitting in the sun in the garden. I have to confess I love stories set in Italy; I happen to also love a good romance and as this hits both of those criteria then this book was the perfect read for me.

I thought Cesca’s character was really well written; she is a failed play writer and since her one stunning failure she has jumped from one job to the next. She is really believable and now at her wits end and no money in the bank she goes to Italy to find inspiration; as Sam does to find solitude, when his Hollywood life goes public in the worst way. I did love the way Carrie wrote the conflict between these two; I wanted to slap Cesca occasionally but their characters have been really well crafted in this story.

This is obviously the first of a series of books about the Shakespeare sisters and I am looking forward to reading their stories too and maybe keeping up with Cesca’s life too. If you are looking for an amusing, entertaining summer romance then one click this one; you won’t be disappointed.

With the scene set for a good old "enemies to lovers" romance set on Lake Como in Italy, this story had everything going for it from the outset. Add two, very different, characters into the mix and readers are drawn into a love affair filled with uncertainty and tension.

With dreams of being a playwright dashed at the outset of her young career, Cesca has limped from one dead-end job to another. When her last disastrous job ends, she turns to her Uncle for advice and before she knows it she’s agreed to house sit in Italy.

Arriving in Italy, Cesca is still uncertain in her decision but hopes to find peace and tranquillity but when she realises that the family home belongs to the person who ruined her fledgeling writing career, Sam Carlton, she knows that she has to return home, and soon. Despite her reservations though, Cesca agrees to stay on knowing that she will be at the lake house alone. That is until Sam unexpectedly turns up!

Sam, a successful actor and Hollywood heart-throb, has no idea who Cesca is, at first, and wonders why this beautiful woman is so vehemently against his staying at his house whilst she is still there. A tentative truce is agreed with the proviso that neither crosses the other’s path but when Sam stumbles across Cesca’s next play on his father’s computer, he can’t help but offer his advice. Sparks fly until Cesca realises that Sam’s ideas are going to make her already good play great but it takes all that she is to swallow her resentment of Sam and to accept his help.

Eventually, the two form an easy friendship. With Sam hiding out from the press at the house though, the location of this story is quite limited, sadly. I was hoping to be taken on a journey of exploration around Lake Como and it’s surrounding towns and villages but this didn’t occur, unfortunately. This for me made the story somewhat too grounded in both its location and scene setting. Whilst I did enjoy the book and the characters, I was left wanting more: more excitement, more drama, more emotional hurdles, and generally more depth. This was a safe story when it could have been a great story but it is still a nice summer’s read.

A lovely warm love story with a couple of very sexy scenes that caused me to blush whilst reading on the train! Fame and fortune doesn't always bring happiness and Sam is struggling with a family secret that has been festering inside him for years. Cesca thinks Sam is the cause of all of her problems but some soul searching reveals the fact that she is her own worst enemy. I enjoyed the descriptions of Italy and the slow burning love affair that builds between Sam and Cesca. Definitely a sunny summer read.

Running away to escape everything yet hurtling head first in to it all; playwright Cesca Shakespeare has hit rock bottom and to avoid any longer on her uncle's sofa she agrees to fly to Italy to house sit as a favour (& hopefully find her long lost writing mojo), inevitably this becomes the trip to change everything.
A fabulous escape to Italy! Well written characters, drama, chemistry, a sizzling treat to curl up with on your lounger & savour.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this chance to review.

4.5 Stars

For six years, Cesca Shakespeare's life has been a complete mess, shes been flittering from job to job with not much success, not admitting to her family she needs help and barely able to put pen to paper and write despite being a promising playwright. All of this is thanks to Sam Carlton and what happened 6 years ago.

Hugh her godfather suggests getting out of London for the summer and she is gifted a house sitting job in Lake Como. Not long into her stay in Italy, she discovers that is is the Carlton's house she is staying in, and then Sam appears!

From that moment on there is crackling chemistry between the two of them even if not obvious to them at first. I loved the initial dialogue between Sam and Cesca, and generally found myself enjoying all of their interactions.

Set over a summer in a stunning Italian villa, with a potential Italian love interest too, its a sizzling story, of romance but also of Cesca rediscovering herself, and Sam finally facing some family demons. But whether it is just a summer romance is for you to read yourself to find out!

Cesca is just one of the four Shakespeare sisters who I believe will be featuring in the next books of the series. From what I have seen of them, I am looking forward to meeting them all in a more up close and personal way!

This is the first book that I have read by Carrie Elks, and I thoroughly enjoyed her writing. The story moved along a good pace, and I found the book to be a fast and incredibly entertaining read. Having read this I will definitely try to get around to her past books a lot quicker!

Summer;s Lease is s summer scorcher of a book that is great for reading on a hot summers day when you want to imagine you are house sitting in Italy, but also would be a great winter read, to try to warm you up!

Thank you to Netgalley and Piatkus for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Goodness I loved Summer's Lease. It is the perfect escapist summer read. I can honestly say I didn't want it to end and am so glad that there will be other books about the Shakespeare sisters.

I thought Summer's Lease epitomised an intelligent example of women's fiction. The Shakespearean quotations at the start of each chapter were perfect hooks and transported me back to so much pleasure from reading, studying and teaching Shakespeare in the past. Indeed, Summer's Lease put me in mind of The Taming of the Shrew in many ways. However, a reader doesn't need to know anything about Shakespeare to thoroughly enjoy the quotations and to have fun seeing how the chapters reflect the selections.

There's a glorious sense of place so that I felt I was in Italy too with Cesca and Sam. The smatterings of food description and language really bring the text alive. I also loved the conceit of Cesca being a writer so that as a result of reading this story I felt I understood the challenges writers can face and the plot felt totally credible. There's humour and lightness of touch too so that Summer's Lease feels silky smooth to read.

The sensual parts were so well written. I was surprised by the level of detail and the effectiveness of the writing. It felt perfectly done and made such a refreshing change from the coy euphemisms of some romances or the deliberately explicit texts designed merely to shock. Summer's Lease felt like grown up romance that all could relate to.

The characterisation is spot on. Of course Sam and Cesca are physically attractive but they have a depth, with issues from the past that affect their present so that I invested myself into the story wholeheartedly even though it is a lighter read. The dialogue between them adds humour and Carrie Elks is able to convey heightened sexual tension so brilliantly.

Summer's Lease is witty, sexy, romantic and entertaining.  What more could a reader ask for? Pack it in your suitcase now!

Summers lease is a wonderful romantic story. Cesca's life could not get any worse, continually losing employment, writers block and no money she has hit rock bottom. This has all come about when play she had written 6 years previously had bombed on its opening night due to the lead actor Sam Carlton walking away the day before without a word.
Sam is now a major Hollywood star and Cesca blames him for all her troubles. Her godfather persuades her to go to Italy to help out at a villa there, he feels she needs a complete change and to start writing again. Not knowing that Sam's parents own the Villa she agrees to go.
Sam unexpectedly turns up, having his own problems, he too needs to get away from it all. And so starts a beautiful, funny trip of discovery for these two lovely people. With a cast of great characters this makes for a lovely well written absorbing read.
Thanks to net galley and publisher for opportunity to review this book honestly.

I adore Carrie's writing it has a wonderful flow, and her characters always are well rounded and developed. There is an emotion but not an emotional read where you sob your heart out. This book would make an excellent holiday read especially with it set in Italy. Summers lease is the first of four books about the Shakespeare sisters. The leading lady is Cesca Shakespeare. Cesca is living hand to mouth trying to hold down a job, this time the job is at a cat cafe. Cesca is fired and upon visiting her uncle has to reevaluate her life. Six years ago Cesca had written a Broadway wich wasn't surprising given her family history, her mother was a successful Broadway actress. Cesca was full of ambition she was well on her way to success until just before the play opened the leading man pulled out and the play flopped. Feeling a failure, she sulked her way into a series of dead-end jobs Until that day she visited her uncle, and he comes up with an idea to help.

Summer's Lease is my first encounter with Carrie Elks's writing even though I had heard of her books before and I have even been fortunate enough to have met once at a local author book signing I just haven't had the chance to read her books before now. I was totally drawn to this book by it's beautiful cover and the blurb which got me all intrigued about the story, it made me not want to miss out on the opportunity to read it.
The story itself is based around Cesca Shakespeare who as a young girl wrote a play that would have wowed the audience but on opening night the lead actor Sam Calton ditched the play for the call of the bright lights of Hollywood which caused the play to close within a week of opening. Cesca never recovered from it and put all her pain and hurt into blaming Sam for ruining her life, she thinks she has lost her will to write again all because of him so she eventually takes on all kinds of crappy jobs but finds she has trouble managing to keep one and gets fired a lot, she has hit rock bottom when Cesca ends up after six years of misery getting a job house sitting a villa on Lake Como near the town of Varenna in Italy, everything is looking up for her until her arch nemesis turns up to ruin her peace and calm she has found there.
This is an enemies to lovers kind of story which is one of my favorite tropes to read. It has an amazing setting that is described in great detail by the author that had me wishing I was there with the characters getting sunkissed from the heat of the sun at the edge of the lake whilst eating great food and drinking good wine. Sam and Cesca are both amazing lead characters that had a lot of depth and personality to them that made them seem very real to me. They start out by having a nasty clash of wills based on what they think they know about each other but once they both realise things aren't really what they seem and get to know one another a little deeper they start to ignite a powder keg of emotions that eventually explodes into a deep and fiery passion between them.
I can tell by the descriptions of the town and the area of Italy that this story is set in that a lot of thought and research has gone into the writing of this book, for the author to able to have such a great eye for detail and knowledge of the cultural and culinary way of life of the country is very commendable and made the story so much more believable.
This is a brilliant first book of the Shakespeare's Sisters series, it's so full of emotion that it had me almost in tears a few times but it also has some very funny moments that balance out the sad ones. Carrie Elks has written an amazing story that will captive your imagination and warm your heart.
A brilliant 5 Stars!

A beautiful story I think is going to stay with me for some time

Summer's Lease, Carrie Elks

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: Romance. 

I love Carrie Elk's novels, found the first one ages back in the kindle free books list and was hooked.
I've found lots of authors that way - authors if you ever wonder if its worth it, well, as a reader I can say its a great way to find out if I enjoy an author's style of writing. I've had many free books then gone on to buy lots more from those I do. 

So, back to this book.
Well its a light, fun read, a perfect summer escape, with some wonderful characters. Its mostly Cesca and Sam, with others dipping in at intervals. 
I loved the way Cesca reached the bottom. I know, cruel...but it meant I so felt for her, so wanted things to go right. She had tried, worked so hard and yet somehow nothing seemed to fall in place.
Then her godfather arranges the caretakers job at the Villa in Italy, which means she'll have time to focus on writing again, and maybe find that core inside that's escaped her since the disaster of her first play. Poised for sucess at just 18 it all collapsed with a bang when the leading man pulled out at the last minute. She's spent the last six years just marking time, going through life and hiding how she really feels from her family. 
So there she is at the villa when who comes to stay unexpectedly but her arch-nemesis, Sam Carlton.
His parents own the villa, and he's escaping from some bad press, things that as usual the media fixate on, that portray him in a bad light but which aren't true. Gah - I hate the press and TV etc when they do that but it seems there's no stopping them from peddling constant lies and speculation :-( 

I love the way authors bring together characters like Cesca and Sam, who start off hating each other and then things change til...and all's going well, until its not!
Poor Cesca, let down once more. Can Sam redeem himself this time, can he win the girl or are they fated to be apart. Well, its a romance read so you know they will end up together, but its the how, and the emotions that get shredded along the way that makes it such a beautiful read. 

Its a story I loved, will join my keepers file for rereading - I've just been doing that with a couple of the early books, and it makes a perfect summer escape. 
Stars: Five, a story I'm glad I read, full of fantastical themes but one which I won't re-read. 

ARC supplied for review purposes by Netgalley and Publishers

Thank you Netgalley and the Publisher. This is by far the best book I have read this year. It has everything, family love and laughter. Highly recommend