This was a really lovely read. The setting of Devon was just wonderful. A great story with wonderful characters,

a quiet but nicely done wide reaching family story that has unique and quirky characters that make it a rather hard to forget read!

Nice cosy tale of an extended family and friends who always head for this delightful Devon village whenever they have a problem or just want to have some thinking time. Nothing harsh to jar your senses in this book - lovely characters (some of whom may be familiar to readers of earlier books), peaceful setting and dogs! Great for a rainy afternoon in front of a fire with a cup of tea - let the words magic you away to somewhere beautiful and sunny. Marcia's books are very easy to read and get into.

I enjoyed this book. The characters were interesting and well defined, but for me the star of the book was the landscape. A beautiful English countryside, with open spaces for dogs to run without leashes, and a spot for a morning cruise on your boat. I loved the pace of the book, it moved along just fast enough to hold my attention, but no so quick that it lost the pastoral feel.

Indian Summer is a delightful story with quirky characters!

An enjoyable novel with a quirky and delightful cast of characters. It takes place in the English countryside outside of London, and centers around a farm with family, friends, and some tenants all in residence. As the characters stories unfold, you realize that their lives are all intertwined in one way or the other, that long buried secrets are slowly coming to life, and that they’re all going to be affected in someway. There’s a little mystery, a little humor, and some very good character development, as well as descriptions of the English countryside. Made me want to curl up with a big pot of earl grey tea while chewing on cakes and biscuits and read all day! Delightful.

Indian Summer is my first novel by this author and I’m sure it won’t be my last. Set in the countryside of Devon the scenery plays a big part in the story- as we delve into the past for the backstory it’s a key factor that the setting for the plot of the novel remains the same, despite the passage of time. I even found that it was a parallel for some of the characters’ plot lines.

Admittedly I found the first few pages difficult- I didn’t immediately warm to Sir Mungo and though I tried, I didn’t relate to him at first. I’m glad I persevered though because Mungo’s warmth did come across and I was invested in his history and his future so much. As a young actor he seemed to have frequently returned to the family home on holiday, bringing friends and treating them to the country life, a rural escape etc. However, now retired, he appeared to be staying longer and placing more emphasis on this natural escape to being his more permanent home.

Though initially focussed on Mungo, the author brought in old friends and new friends so that the plot kept expanding for Mungo, his brother and sister-in-law. Each persona had an intricate story of their own and sometimes I wasn’t sure how they would all match up. I liked the different generations that Willett explored - typical of a village in the countryside, you find all sorts of people amongst the ever changing fields, sky and wildlife. I was fascinated by the mystery of the past that was hinted at throughout (and mercifully is explained in the end) but I almost found it distracted from the newer relationships and found its conclusion a smidge anti-climactic- hopefully that’s just me.

Thank you to St.Martin's Press for our review copy. All opinions are our own.

Sorry couldn't get into this book at all. Did not make it past the first few pages.

Indian Summer

by Marcia Willett

Indian Summer is one of those books that is difficult to categorize. Some call it a Romance, but it focuses more on relationships than on romance. Others see it as Women’s Fiction, and I agree that it would appeal more to women than to men, but I prefer to just call it a novel. Marcia Willett’s Indian Summer is the story of Sir Mungo Kerslake and his brother Archie who reside on the family property near a small town. The other characters’ lives intersect with the brothers’ in various ways. Some live on the property as tenants or renters. Others are visitors from outside the community. All have secrets.

Sir Mungo is a very social retired actor and director of some renown, and all of the characters relate to him in some way. Very likable, he is the ultimate good friend—hospitable, understanding, loyal, and trustworthy. He has the amusing penchant of looking at life through a director’s lens, seeing life events as the bits and pieces of a play. He adds a fun, dramatic flair to every situation.

Indian Summer was first published as a paperback in 2015. Thomas Dunne Books is now publishing it as a hardback. This my first book by this author, but won’t be the last. I enjoyed the gentle, understanding approach of the author to her characters. The story is written in such a way that it jumps between sets of characters within a chapter. That was disconcerting at first, but as the relationships became more apparent, these switches morphed into a flow appropriate to the plot.

I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Thomas Dunne Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 5/5

Category: Women’s Fiction, Romance

Publication: June 27, 2017—Thomas Dunne Books

Memorable Lines:

Her own world has swung back into focus and she realizes how very precious it is to her. She mustn’t risk it for this chimera of excitement and fun; for some brief sexual gratification. Yet how to extricate herself?

The trouble is, he knows by experience that it’s this part of the creative process that he really loves: sitting in bars with his laptop open, jotting down ideas; walking around new places; watching people and inventing little scenarios for them. It’s rather depressing that, when the time comes to sit down and actually write the story, his enthusiasm wanes.

Perhaps, thinks Mungo, that’s why the friends of our youth are so dear to us. To each other we aren’t grey and old and dull. We remember times when we took chances, acted courageously, rescued each other and gave each other support. These things remain. In their company we are the people we’ve always been: viable and strong.

What's not to like about Marcia Willett's books? If you enjoy reading Mauve Binchy and Rosamunde Pilcher, you'll enjoy Marcia Willett's books, too.
Planning to read and collect all of her books.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC ebook for my Kindle.

Set in a quiet village in Devon, a semi-retired actor/director returns to his home for the summer to enjoy time away from his hectic life in London. Sir Mungo is a lovely and eccentric character who turns his home town into a pleasant retreat for his friends from London. One of those friends is his beloved Kit who makes a getaway to Sir Mungo's home in order to contemplate her next move in life. She has received a letter from her lost love who now, many years later, wants to see her again. Sir Mungo along with Kit, his brother and sister in law, make the best of the summer which brings old memories of loves lost, and mysteries from the past.
This was an enjoyable story of family, old friends, and love. Sir Mungo as a character was funny, entertaining as well as sweet. His relationship with Kit is what all best friends aspire to be. It was delightful to read of how relationships grow and change over time.

Tthanks to Net Galley and St Martins Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.
The story is set in Devon Retired actor Sir Mongo lives on part of the estate that his brother Archie and his wife Camilla own. The story moves between the past, telling the tale of Sir Mongo and his actor friends, Ralph, Izzy, Kit and Jake and their different relationships.
In the present the story includes Mongo , his friends, his brother and Camilla and other close neighbours in the small village.
There are secrets being kept both in the past and the present and great lengths are gone to to keep the secrets safe. Mongo plays a big part in both stories and thoroughly enjoys seeing the different scenes acted out.
A lovely story of secrets,friendships, families and love rekindled. 3.5 stars

Indian Summer is a lovely story of old friendships that stand the test of time. The writing flows and Willett describes an England you can imagine yourself in. She transports you directly to the Devon countryside and into the memories and lives of Sir Mungo and his family, his old chum Kit, and more. You become invested in their lives and feel a need to know what will happen next. With these likeable characters and the cozy location of this novel, grab your tea and get comfortable. This is a book to settle in with.

Thank you to Saint Martin's Press for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I would give Indian Summer a 3.5 star rating. I enjoyed the quirkiness of Sir Mungo, a dramatic, yet solid friend and brother, who could always be depended on for a good time and support. He was my favorite character, and the story revolved around him with his family and friends. Sir Mungo knew how to build up anyone around him by reading the scene quickly and working out what needed to be done like a script in a play.

The book didn't have the mystery or dramatic secrets I expected, but it was a fast, enjoyable story. It made me want to rent a house in the country and enjoy the small town feel like in Devon, England.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin Press for allowing me to read Indian Summer for an honest review.

This was a wonderful novel! This was the first novel by Marcia Willett that I have read. I liked the way the characters were depicted. We first get to know Mungo and his close friend Kit. And then we are introduced to Mungo’s family and friends of both Mungo and Kit. Most of the story takes place in England on a section of land passed down from Mungo’s and his brother Archie’s family. Mungo and Archie still live here. There are also some renters on the land, old timers who grew up here and some people who are new to the area. The characters are colorful and depicted in a delightful way. They bring their own personalities and secrets to the story. And then there are also lost loves, fun memories, and some sad memories. The story is rich with details and the characters all begin to inter-connect with each other as the story evolves. Eventually, all of the characters form their own sort of family.

I got to read an early copy of this from NetGalley. So, some of my comments are about format and that may very well be corrected.

Most importantly I want to say that I love the character Mungo. He's fantastic and he's the kind of person everyone should want as a friend. He's as loyal as it gets and he's fun to be around too.

Mungo is a retired actor who lives in a house on his brother's property. They've shared a lot of friends throughout the years.
One day, his friend Kit contacts him about wanting to come for a visit. He's never sure what to expect with Kit.
When she arrives, she confides in Mungo about the return of her lost love Jake. He's contacted he'd after many years of silence and she's not sure whether to give him another chance.

I found two things to be confusing in this story:
Who was talking
What year it was

There were random "appearances" from long deceased Izzy and the timeframes bounced around from present to past.

I thought this had potential to be a better story with a few format tweaks:
Let us know what year it is right off the bat
Make clear which character is talking

There were a lot of characters in the book and I spent too much time trying to keep them straight. In the scheme of things, what did I learn from having Mags in the book? Or the man in town writing his novel? I'm not sure.

But I didn't put the book down because I had to stick with Mungo. Loved his character. He's truly the heart of the whole story.

Set in Devon in a small village, the inhabitants are those whom for foreigners are quintessentially English! Hereditary farmers Archie and Camilla and his brother Sir Mungo. Archie and Camilla are small time farmers and trying to manage a losing battle on their property. They do not want to sell to developers either but there seems to be no way out. Sir Mungo is very rich but Archie is highly principled and does not want to take money from him. We then have other characters like Billy and Phillip whose home it has been for generations on the same property and others like Kit and Emma and James and Marcus who are part of the plot and support the story.

More or less like a very interesting drama the whole story goes forward on seemingly small incidents. One leading to another. Like all family/village stories secrets abound. What you dont know does not hurt but once you are in the know, dragged in unwittingly then you have a dilemma on your hands and this is what Mungo and Archie eventually face.

Then there is the story of Kit and Jake - a love affair left too late, decades too late and the ghost of Izzy and Ralph hovering around them all.

Strands of different stories, very well woven together to give one a very balanced view of family life in a small English village! Loved it.

Goodreads and Amazon reviews posted on 18/7/2017. Review on my blog 28/8/2017.

This is more of a 3.5 book for me. It was difficult for me to really get in the "groove"of the book. Three-fourths of the way through it, I finally found it interesting. It's about the people in a village/small town and how their lives intersect each other's and how the friends/relatives they bring into that circle changes the dynamics. That is a real broad overview but basically what I got out of it. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy for my honest review.

3.5 stars
This is my first opportunity to read a book by Marcia Willett, and it was enjoyable! Indian Summer is a gentle-paced family/mystery. Comparable to maybe Rosamunde Pilcher with a modern twist or Maeve Binchy. There is a colorful cast of characters here who are anything but predictable. Relationships of all sorts seem to be the focus in this book. Sir Mungo is an ex-actor who has retired to his family property in Devon. His brother and wife live there too, and although they've led more stable lives, still have a few secrets. Cottages on the estate are also rented out, and it was fun seeing how their lives intertwine with the family's. Mungo's London friends love popping over for visits and bring drama and excitement to the otherwise quiet countryside. As the summer passes, though, the past comes rushing to the front with it's mysteries and secrets. How will their relationships hold up after they are forced to confront the past? Beautiful descriptions of the setting! Recommended to those who enjoy more gentle-type family/mystery stories

**Many thanks to NetGalley, Thomas Dunne Books and Marcia Willett for the opportunity to read and honestly review the ARC!**

To the outsider the English countryside looks like nothing exciting can happen. Just remember looks can be deceiving and if you dig deep enough secrets will surface. You will be introduced to a group of friends who have been together for years. Through all their trials they support each other and protect those they care about. In this book you will discover secrets that have been buried for years. You will see if a second-chance at love will succeed or will fear get the better of them. Will a lonely military wife cheat on her husband or will it end in a bad way? I enjoyed this book and it is a great summer read. You will love the characters. Do yourself a favor and pick it up.