Molly has never known her dad, in fact her Mum Ashley only knew him for one night. They are both attending a family party in the South of France. Haydon and Ella are also off to France for a father daughter trip. What happens when they all meet?

The core plot of this book is predictable but the characters believable and the setting beautiful. The main plot line was dragged out slightly too much for my liking. Overall this is an enjoyable book. For me I just didn’t get the satisfied ‘I don’t want to finish this book’ feeling however this is not the first book I’ve read by this author and unlikely to be the last.

Be sure to toss the Summer Getaway into your beach bag. You won't want to miss this perfect beach read.

I loved this tale of second chances at love. About 15 years and 9 months ago, Ashley had a brief holiday fling on the French Riveria. Now, after years of struggling as a single mum, Ashley is treating herself and her daughter, Molly, to another great beach vacation. But who should be next door but Molly's long-lost dad?

What follows is a screwball caper of a rom-com with witty dialogue, a relatable heroine, and a heartwarming romance. You won't want to miss this one.

I did find Ashley's mom a bit of an unlikeable shrew but that didn't ruin my overall enjoyment of the book.

Many thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for my ARC copy. All opinions are my own.

I cannot tell you how much I'm looking forward to July 11th. It's the Flemish "national" holiday - and the first day of my summer break. And, as you would have it, it's also the publication day for Tilly Tennant's The Summer Getaway!





I was given this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The story
Ashley Moon is all set for a dream holiday with her daughter in the glittering French Riviera. But nothing can prepare her for the shock of discovering who’s staying in the villa next door…

Ashley Moon got much more than a suntan on her first ever foreign holiday; one whirlwind romance and nine months later she had a daughter, Molly.

Too heart-broken and proud to ever contact the father, Ashley made a decision to go it alone and raise her daughter herself. Fifteen hard and lonely years later, she finally has the chance to take Molly on her first ever holiday; a gorgeous, all-expenses paid trip to the charming French resort of St Raphael.

It is the perfect setting for a week of quality time together; they plan to cycle through the sun-drenched vineyards, lounge by the glistening pool and practice their French on friendly locals. And just when Ashley thought things couldn’t get any better, comes the news of a handsome new occupant to the villa next door.

But fate has other plans for Ashley. One look in to her neighbour’s dark hazel eyes is all it takes to give her the shock of her life. Standing in front of her is Haydon, Molly’s long lost father and the holiday fling she thought she’d never see again.

As the temperature on the Cote D’Azure steadily rises and Ashley and Haydon begin spend more and more time together, will Ashley find the courage to tell him who she is – and more importantly, who Molly is?

The opinion
This book is pretty straight forward in it's plot - and there won't be too many surprises along the way. There's one twist I did not see coming right near the end - but that might just be me. Other than that, this was your classic story of "boy meets girl, boy leaves girl, boy meets girl x years later and realises what he let go" - but, like, times two.

From the beginning, even without reading the description of the book, it's pretty clear what's going to happen. It's the road to that climax, however, that made me really enjoy this book.

Ashley's struggles with finding a "right moment" to tell Haydon about his daughter were at times a bit annoying, but mostly just on the spot. I mean, really, how do you tell someone something like that? Now, Haydon could probably do with either A) some biology classes; B) some mathematics classes; or C) a combination of the two. I really appreciated, though, how his character had - at just about every point - his priorities straight.

Naturally, the characters do some things that I would have much rather not see them do. That "nice", "little" twist at the end comes to mind. But Sue, Ashley's mum... Man, I wanted to slap her at sompe points. Just like I wanted to kiss and hug Maurice, Sue's husband. As a couple? Well, let's just say Ashley is surrounded by some forces to be reckoned with. The same can be said for Haydon actually - can we take a moment to appreciate that here we have someone who was left by his wife (the wife he still loved, mind you) and she is not made out to be the bad guy? Truly revolutionary :)

The rating: 3.5/5
Overall, I really enjoyed this book - sure, at times I wanted to smack the characters and tell them to get their head screwed back on straight. But at other points, I just wanted to hug them all until they felt better and everything was alright again, in their world. The one "downside" (if I can even call it that) would be that the plot was definitely somewhat predictable, otherwise this would have been a solid 4-star rating for me. If you want a fun book to read on your "summer getaway", though? Definitely give this one a try!

-Saar

I felt like this was just okay. I had no real strong feelings for or against it and that isn't necessarily good. The characters while realistic, they weren't relatable for me. It was a little predictable but I had that feeling going into it so it didn't bother me. I would recommend it for someone wanting a beach read that doesn't make them think.

I really enjoyed this book. Super fast read, but absolutely kept me engaged. I liked the fact that the ending wasn't 100% wrapped up, and that it was a good summer read. Not believable in total, but enjoyable. Recommend.

Definitely a great beach read. I really enjoyed the characters and the setting of the book. A Little disappointed because from pretty much the first few chapters I knew how it would end but it is still a fun summer read. Makes you hopeful for second chances!

Ashley Moon has worked hard to bring up her daughter as a single mother the result of a one night stand whilst away abroad. She had no way of contacting him so made the best of things. Persuaded to go on a family holiday to the South of France she is shocked to bump into her old flame but cannot bring herself to finally let her secret out. It was an enjoyable read but Ashley’s floundering was starting to get irritating. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Sometimes you do get a do-over! Ashley has struggled as a single mom for 16 years after having lost touch with the young man she fell instantly in love with on holiday. Time moves on for Haydon as well, who has a failed marriage behind him, but has never forgotten Ashley. Both take their daughters to France for a holiday and surprisingly re-connect. Will the past get in the way of the future for these two?

When Ashley was 18 she went on holiday to Ibiza, had a one night stand, got pregnant, had a daughter, Molly, and never saw the father again.

Ashley and Molly are invited to France to celebrate the 100th birthday of Ashley’s step-father’s aunt. Having bought Molly up alone, Ashley doesn’t have much and as the holiday is an all expenses paid trip she decides to go. Haydon is divorced with a 13 year old daughter Ella, he is also offered the chance of a week in France.

When Ashley discovers Haydon is staying in the villa next door, she can’t believe it’s the boy she met in Ibiza and as Molly and Ella become friends she knows she has to tell Haydon that Molly is his daughter. The story follows Ashley’s attempts to let Haydon know about Molly without causing distress to their daughters, Ashley and Haydon also discover that the feelings they had for each other have never gone away.

A enjoyable book perfect for the summer.

Tilly Tennant is one of those authors where I know I'm going to read a warm and absorbing tale, with realistic, likeable characters.

Although I absolutely love her writing, this book wasn't my favourite. I found the beginning a little slow/ confusing- but that may be because I wasn't paying enough attention.. and Ashley became extremely infuriating as the book progressed.

I understand the shock factor and the build-up, but she came across a little weak and unsure of herself... not the usual strength of character that I usually associate with this author's characters.

So whilst it was an enjoyable read, it was a little meandering. Whilst some reviewers have said they would have preferred it if Ashley had revealed the secret to Haydon earlier, I'm now not so sure. If that had been the case it would have been more of a happily ever after story rather than the story of Ashley, Haydon and their daughters...

3.5* an enjoyable read but a little slow

It's a Tilly Tennant book so it starts with a base line of 3 stars and builds from there! Solid chick lit...fun, happy...a bit of Oh No! here and there :c) Another solid outing from a favourite Chick Lit author :c)

At first when I started this book, I thought I might not like it because of how descriptive it was. However, that was not the case at all. I have been wanting to read books set in a countryside and how descriptive it was made me feel like I was there. I also love the premise of the plot. A woman who runs into her old boyfriend or fling, after getting pregnant with his baby, years later. This book was very enjoyable.

The book started off so well and I was really enjoying it. Ashley a single mum to Molly takes a well deserved family holiday to France. When she comes across an old flame. Big secrets that dragged on to long. The more it dragged out the more bored I became. It did go back to its best in the last few pages. Which is a shame as it had the makings of a lovely summer read.

DNF at 74%.

I tried really hard to finish this book but frankly I found all of the characters to be unsympathetic, verging on dis-likeable.

Sixteen years ago Ashley Moon went on a summer holiday to Ibiza she would never forget, a one-night stand with a boy called Haydon (no surname) left her pregnant with a bogus phone number. For the first time in forever she and her daughter Molly are going abroad on holiday - to France to celebrate Ashley's step-father's mother's 100th birthday (I hope that made sense).

Haydon is a music teacher and divorced with a fourteen year old daughter called Ella. His ex-wife and her new boyfriend are thinking of moving down to London and taking Ella with them so Haydon decides to take advantage of a late offer from a pupil's father and rent a villa in France for a week's holiday with Ella.

Imagine Haydon and Ashley's surprise when they discover that after sixteen years of no contact they are staying next door to each other in France.

So, here I am, 74% of the way through the book, six days into Ashley's holiday and she STILL hasn't told Haydon that Molly is his daughter. Nevertheless the four of them, plus various wider family members, have managed to spend several days together. Ashley has to be one of the most infuriating characters I have ever read. She hasn't seen this guy in sixteen years. They had a one-night stand. She gets jealous if she sees him with another woman. She thinks she can't trust him. So she won't tell him he has a daughter. Her own mother can't understand what is taking so long. Haydon on the other hand is one of those parents who thinks that others need to tip-toe around their precious baby. His daughter gets upset and he thinks it's the fault of the other children instead of the natural outcome when there are two fifteen year olds and a younger child. Goodness only knows why he likes Ashley, she's wetter than a cold weekend in Seattle.

The book was too slow, do we really need 245 pages of Ashley faffing about before she tells Haydon he has another daughter? I suppose realistically I wanted the novel to be about what happens AFTER she breaks the news not this will-she, won't-she wobbling. Maybe I'm too old, I identify more with Ashley's exasperated mother than I do with her?

It's a pity because I've read Tilly Tennant books in the past and really enjoyed them.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I selected this book only on it’s description having never read this author. I was pleasantly surprised and will read more from Tilly Tennant. I thoroughly enjoyed The Summer Getaway. This is a story of a long lost love, secrets and some family drama. Ashley and Haydon travel independently to the same town in the south of France for a holiday and their paths cross after many years and their families become involved in their past. This book is a fun, summer read and was well written. I would enjoy a sequel to know what happens with these characters going forward.

***I received an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley.***

2.5 stars

NOTE: This review includes minor spoilers.

There were things I loved about The Summer Getaway, by Tilly Tennant, and things that frustrated me.

Ashley and Haydon met on holiday in Ibiza, falling hard and fast for each other after only a single night together. But as life would have it, nothing is ever simple. Ashley finds herself pregnant with no way to contact Haydon. Fast-forward sixteen years, and the pair cross paths on holiday again, each with a daughter in tow. Ashley struggles with her feelings for Haydon and about whether to tell him who Molly is and how to go about it. Throw in her meddling mother, an entire French step-family that know nothing about Ashley’s past and 1 ex-wife. What could go wrong? Or should I say, what could go right?

What did I love about this story? I fell for both Haydon and Ashley. Ashley raised her daughter all on her own and never once complained about the struggles. It’s impossible not to admire that. She loves her mum and step-dad. I loved how straightforward Haydon was about his feelings once the initial awkwardness has been navigated. I loved how both of them loved their daughters. I adored Maurice, Ashley’s step-dad. He had this gentle, ultra-sensitive and loving manner about him. You could just tell he wanted nothing but the best for Ashley. Also, Molly and Bastien were adorable.

What about this story frustrated me? It was plain from the beginning that Ashley needed to tell Haydon about Molly. I didn’t expect her to tell him straight away; seeing him was enough of a shock that I doubt anyone would have just blurted it out. I even understood her hurt feelings about Audrey and gave her a pass that night. It was after that night that I realized her waiting too long to tell Haydon was going to be the bulk of the plot. It just seemed so, so wrong to wait. She was playing with other people’s lives. The excuse became a frustrating, cliched plot device.

I didn’t love Ashley’s mum. She was pushy and judgmental and she said some terribly insensitive things to her daughter. Ashley was a grown woman, so it was irritating to see her mum treat her like a child.

In terms of writing, the pace was a bit off for me. There was a delightful sense of fate and inevitability but boy did it seem dragged out. There was also too much description for me. I felt as though I spent too much time inside the characters’ thoughts. Both MCs went through the ins and outs and ups and downs of every single what-if in their heads. It just made everything feel muddled and often repetitive.

And one last thing…The couple’s reunion felt rather anticlimactic. Haydon was confused and shut down and then you turn the page and they’re together. I wish Tennant had written the scene differently. I wanted our MCs to talk. I wanted their what-ifs here. I wanted reassurance that they’d figure it out somehow, or that they at least wanted to. Technically we got this in an after-the-fact way, but I would have liked to have the conversation, to see our couple work at finding a way together. The way it was written left me feeling rather disappointed.

I will be sharing my review on the blog tour, so here are a few words.
Another fantastic book. It gave me goosebumps.
Beautifully written, set in the South of France. Another place this author has made me want to visit.
I just loved it. Thank you Tilly Tennant.

Thank you for providing me with a copy of this book. I loved it!!! Have read many of Tillly's books and they don't disappoint. Would love a sequel to this! Highlyrecommend

I thoroughly enjoyed the plot, atmosphere, and characters. I would recommend the book to friends and family for their reading pleasure.

Having read a great many of Tilly Tennant's books in the past, I was really delighted to have the chance to read her latest ebook. It sounded like a really enticing summery tale, and indeed it lived up to my expectations. I was drawn in immediately by the characters and situations, and read it all in no time.




The story revolves mainly around Ashley Moon, single mother and close friend of teenager Molly, who is already a violinist with a promising future. Having brought her daughter up alone with not very much money to spare, Ashley is delighted when her mum offers her and Molly a week's holiday in the south of France, all expenses covered. They find themselves transported from their small house in York to a large, seaside villa in the French resort of StRaphael, where they join a house party of French relatives. In the neighbouring villa, Haydon, a cello teacher also from England, is spending a week's holiday with his teenage daughter, Ella. The girls hit it off immediately, but it is a shock meeting for Ashley and Haydon, for they have met before. Although enjoying Haydon's company and getting to know him a little better, Ashley is faced with a dilemma over a secret she is harbouring.



This was a real joy of a story. It had everything going for it - sun, sea, interesting characters, French cuisine and romance. However, Ashley's Secret and whether she should reveal it had me on the edge of my seat all the way through. Would she tell, or would the others find out before she was ready? Added to that, I very much enjoyed the descriptions of the activities entered into by the various members of the party. They really had an eventful, fun-filled week. Definitely a story to be added to the list of holiday reading.