Thank you to NetGalley for the early edition of this book.

For those readers who were anxiously awaiting Anne Youngson's next book after enjoying "Meet me at the museum" : you will not be disappointed. If you are looking for a fast moving, action-packed thriller, this is not for you. I knew nothing of the canals and narrowboats of Britain and enjoyed learning quite a bit about them.
It is primarily a character study of Eve and Sally , two women who meet quite by accident at a time when both of their lives are at a crossroad. It tells of a summer when they meet Anastasia and decide to travel with her narrowboat while they decide the path for the rest of their lives. Anastasia, Trompette, Arthur, Jacob and Owen are also very interesting characters who have stories of their own. It is a tale of family : the family that we are born in to and the families that we create and how those families evolve.
I have read a few reviews that complain that it is too slow moving. I disagree. It is slow like a meandering ride on the canals . It is a summer trip and what occurs during those few months. The pace fit the story.
If you enjoy stories with interesting multi-dimensional characters and new environments or ways of life withwhich you may not be familiar, this tale is for you. I loved all of the characters and wanted to learn more about all of them. Although I would have been happy to learn more about their lives, I was also content with how the story ended. I felt it was perfect way to finish this tale..
It is always fun to read a book that breaks the usual mold and opens the reader up to new discoveries and insights.I highly recommend this book.

While I enjoyed the scenery and quirky characters of Youngson's imagination, I would have liked this book more if there had been more dialogue. And nothing really happened, it was as slow and measured as barge living!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC, this is my honest review.

This is a delightful story of three women whose paths cross at just the right moment in each of their lives. While the book deals with some serious topics revolving around life changing events, it is ultimately joyful and uplifting.

The first of the three women in question is Anastasia, an elderly, independent, no nonsense woman, who finds herself in need of a life saving surgery, and who also owns what’s referred to as a narrow boat, apparently quite common in the canals that traverse the UK. Her boat needs to be navigated through this system of canals for some required maintenance, but she can’t do it on her own because of her medical issues, and she’s worried about losing her boat and independence. Enter Sally and Eve. Sally has just recently informed her husband of many years that she’s not interested in being married to him any longer and wants out of their relationship. Eve is single and was just ousted from her long time corporate position with an engineering firm. Both are unsure of their next move in life. By chance, these three women cross paths, and Sally and Eve, not knowing each other and unfamiliar with boating, agree to help Anastasia by throwing their lots together and navigating the narrow boat through the canals to the place where it will be maintained. No easy business, as Anastasia is fiercely independent, not crazy about her anticipated reliance on others while having and recovering from surgery, and putting her beloved boat in the hands of strangers. Similarly, Sally and Eve are strangers to each other, with completely different backgrounds. Sally has been married for many years with two grown children, and has decided to leave her marriage. Eve is single and has focused on her life long career, but has been let go from her corporate position. Both are contemplating their next move, when the opportunity with the narrow boat presents itself. It is truly a delight to see how their friendships blossom, the characters and events they encounter along the way of their journey, and without a doubt, their adventures in navigation!

Inspired by a friend’s review, I became curious and so did a little research on narrow boats. They are quite fascinating and beautiful, used for part time or year round living, vacation, corporate events, etc. I also learned something about the canal system through the UK, which I had otherwise been unaware of.

Thank you to Book Browse and Net Galley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to love this book, based on the synopsis however I didn’t. I found the storyline difficult to follow, the characters one dimensional and the writing stilted. I struggled to finish it.

The Narrowboat summer is a character driven story. It was a slower read. 3 women with life changing situations meet unexpectedly.. Sally is getting a divorce. Eve retires from a 30 year career. Anastasia is facing surgery and serious health issues. Anastasia needs someone to drive her narrowboat to Birmingham through the canals in England for engine maintenance and to renew her license. Sally and Eve who have just met agree to drive the boat through the canals to
have it serviced. They make the long journey while meeting various characters along the way. They learn Anastasia’s story along the way and learn a lot about themselves. Overall, I enjoyed the book. It was a slow build rather than a fast paced book.

I can’t think of a dreamier setting than on a narrowboat cruising the canals of England!

The beginning of the story is a little far-fetched for me. It is hard to believe that three complete strangers would decide to temporarily swap a boat for an apartment. Not even that, they would agree to take on a three to four month journey on a conveyance they had never operated before.

The unbelievability of the opening scenes aside, I found the book very charming. Sally, Eve, and Anastasia are very well written and interesting. Their backstories are revealed as the book goes on which made me want to read on to see who or what was coming around the next bend in the canal. This trio had recent upheaval in their lives and are at a crossroads. A nice slow-moving float on the canals is just what they need to clear some space in their mind to dream of what to do next.

Sally and Eve meet interesting characters along their route. Anastasia is the glue that bonds all of these characters together. I love that their backstories are slowly revealed throughout the book.

I did feel the slowness of this book, at times it was a little to much slowness and introspection for me.

This is an uplifting story of friendship and women supporting each other to make a positive change in their lives.

Three strangers form an unlikely friendship, a boat by the name of Number One, a howling dog, and life changes and challenges for all is what you'll find in Anne Youngson's The Narrowboat Summer. The women find and reinvent themselves on and off the water over the course of the book and you find yourself rooting for each of them. This is a feel-good, enjoyable read.

Thank you to Flatiron Books and Anne Youngson for the ARC.

Three strangers who don’t know each other, are all fighting their own battles meet by incident one day and their lives are forever changed. An unforgettable unforgettable summer with adventures they never thought would come into their lives. The adventures lead to a new outlook on life and a renewed sense of purpose. A great and fun read!

Author, Anne Youngson continues to delight readers with stories about women’s friendships in her sophomore novel, THE NARROWBOAT SUMMER (FlatironBooks). It’s the story about three very different women who are brought together by what can only be called a serendipitous encounter. The thing that really tickled me about THE NARROWBOAT SUMMER was it’s about middle age women looking to begin the next chapter of their lives. Anastasia, Eve and Sally have already had careers and families and now it’s time to explore what they want to do, not what’s expected or has been traditionally done in the past.

Eve has just been fired from a job she’s had for many years and Sally has left a stale marriage she’s also had for many years. They are both walking along the towpath next to the river and hear a noise from one of the narrowboats.

“Was that human?”

After deliberating, they go on board to find a dog hollowing. Soon a woman named Anastasia arrives to find Sally and Eve on her boat and she’s not happy. But the three strike up a conversation about Noah, the dog and one thing leads to another. Anastasia needs to leave the boat for a medical treatment and at the same time, she needs someone to take the boat to a site which will take at least two months. Eve and Sally are intrigued, take ten days to think it over and soon they’re on a canal riverboat with absolutely no experience.

Life on the boat isn’t all fun and thrills. Eve and Sally settle into a routine, begin to know the canal community and eventually find themselves becoming different women. Their children come to visit, Sally’s husband, Duncan shows up thinking he can win her back, plus there are numerous quirky people who know the boat, Anastasia and Noah who pop in. There’s a lot to think about on a boat for a couple of months.

I love travel stories. The characters get to know themselves better and make changes to the way they’ve “always been.” The three women are so different and colorful, it’s not surprising for them to annoy or get prickly with the other. But there’s a lovely tenderness which comes through.

I didn’t know anything about the narrowboat community in England or about the history of living on canals. You can check out the book BARGING AROUND BRITAIN or the website www.cruisingthecut.co.uk to learn more. I think you’ll enjoy THE NARROWBOAT SUMMER.

I always enjoy reading stories of people overcoming obstacles in their lives. Because in addition to moving/working through the obstacles they are continually learning more about themselves in the process.
Eve and Sally (strangers to each other initially) do this, plus learn how to handle longboat steering through canals . And there is also a bit of a mystery in unraveling the history of Anastasia, the woman who hired them to work her boat during her medical hiatus.
Now, having said I enjoy books with the above premise, it still started a little slow for me. I kept waiting for it to pick up steam which it never quite did. The last fourth or so kept my attention better because loose ends were being tied up. Mainly with the background of Anastasia.
There was humorous bantering around between the characters. But it was nothing that made me laugh out loud.
And while the characterizations were basic, I still didn't feel like I knew the people well enough to connect totally with them. I cared but mainly to see how it all ended.
It felt like I was reading a faded version of another book with a similar plot but with a stronger presence.
I have not read her other book to compare with this one.

Soothing to the soul! I loved Anne Youngson’s book, Meet Me at the Museum, and was looking forward to reading The Narrowboat Summer. I was not disappointed. This story provided a calm, meandering trip through a lush landscape full of interesting characters and mild adventures. It made me think about becoming the sort of person who lives boldly and deliberately—possibly on my own narrowboat!

Just as a narrowboat must travel at its own, somewhat measured pace, the timing of this novel is deliberate and thoughtful (in a good way). This is clearly a book to savor, not one to rush through. Readers will commit to the experience of enjoying some literary travel in an unhurried way.

The Narrowboat Summer tells the story of three women and those around them. The owner of the boat is Anastasia, an older woman who has lived on the canals. She needs a place to stay off of the water while she receives medical treatment. She comes to stay at Eve’s home.

Two women, previously unknown to one another, take on the task of ferrying Anastasia’s boat to its’ destination. One is Eve and the other is Sally, both of whom are seeking change and meaning in their lives.

As the two navigate and travel, they become closer to one another. They also meet a series of people on their literal journey and their voyages of self-discovery. These include an elderly man, a storyteller and others, all of whom have something to say and teach about life.

The stories of the characters are engaging and readers root for all of them as they seek the lives that they want (and deserve). Take the time to travel with them. You will enjoy the journey.

As a side note, I have always thought that it would be marvelous to travel along the British canal system. I still have not done that but this book did nothing to lessen my wish to do so.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.

Anne Youngson has done it again - created a world so warm and women so believable that I to turn the book back to the beginning so I can start again and meet them all once more. Not many authors make me want to do that any more, let alone those with believable older women with believable problems.

This one was a slow burn for me.
It was a lovely story, but not a quick read. It you have time to sit with it you will be glad you did.
I recommend

"The Narrowboat Summer" by Anne Youngson is a gentle breeze of a book about sudden life changes, unexpected friendships and seeking a little adventure that can enrich one's life immeasurably. Sally and Eve, two of the book's main characters, are facing uncertain times when their paths cross by rescuing a crying dog. Little did they know, the dog didn't need rescuing, as his owner, Anastasia, was quick to point out. The chance encounter of these three women, however, leads to an interesting summer for these strangers-turned-friends, which inevitably leads to a lifetime of friendship and dreams for the threesome. The journey is plagued with hard times, but the underlying message in the book prevails-hold tight to those who love you and your life will never be lonely. Thank you NetGalley and Flatiron Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Narrowboat Summer, like Anne Youngson’s previous novel, Meet Me at the Museum, is a character-driven story, its pace gentle and measured, its tone light and satirical, its characters engaging and believable.
At the outset of the narrative, two women walking in opposite directions on a canal path are just approaching each other when they hear unearthly howls and cries from a narrowboat tethered nearby. They decide to investigate, and find a dog shut inside. Worried that the dog has been neglected, they let him free, whereupon he immediately runs away. The owner of the boat, a rather forbidding elderly lady, then arrives home and informs them that the dog regularly howls whenever she leaves the boat, was “just showing off,” and will return when he’s ready. Anastasia, the old woman, has just received a diagnosis which means she can’t take her boat down the canal to Chester for repairs. The two walkers, Sally and Eve, are both at a crossroads in their own lives. Sally has just left her stultifying marriage behind, and Eve has just been let go from her job of many years. The two women agree to take Anastasia’s narrowboat to Chester for her. She quickly teaches them the rudiments of handling the boat, and the rest of the novel tells of their adventures along the way and the many eccentric characters they meet as they travel the canal. By the story’s end, all three women have come to a sense of peace and a new direction for their lives.
The novel will appeal to those who appreciate a story with intriguing characters, complex relationships directing a plot that meanders somewhat like the narrowboat on the canal. If readers prefer fast-paced action in a novel, however, this story is not likely to appeal.

I loved reading The Narrowboat Summer by Anne Youngson! The idea of two women that leave all they know and are familiar with to immerse themselves in a unique way of life to help a stranger for summer is delightful. Eve and Sally meet by chance on a towpath one afternoon when they hear the terrible howling of a dog. They approach a narrowboat which is moored along a canal close to London, then discover a dog seems to be in distress locked inside the boat. What should they do? They break a window and let the dog go free. Then they meet the indomitable Anastasia!
This is the beginning of a summer for new friends, learning new skills, and adventure which takes Eve and Sally out of their comfort zones. They discover the boat owner, Anastasia needs help due to a health condition, so they agree to spend several months taking the boat for repairs. As they work the locks while going through the route of canals, they meet people who live a life of uncertainty but also seem to have a sense of inner peace and a slower pace of life.
Eve and Sally were both at a crossroad in their lives when they met that afternoon, and they did not expect to become friends. the women are learning more about their strengths and faults. One afternoon Eve asks Anastasia, does being a grown-up mean we are all doomed to be ordinary?
"No," said Anastasia. "It means accepting we are all extraordinary in ordinary ways." I enjoyed the interaction of the characters, the lessons they learned about themselves, and the strengths they developed. I was disappointed when the story ended!
Publication Date: January 26, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Eve Warburton and Sally Allsop meet by chance on a path when they both hear a dog howling on a canal boat. In trying to "rescue" the dog they also meet Anastasia the owner of the boat. All the women are facing major decisions and Eve and Sally agree to take the narrowboat up the canal to the place it can be repaired., while Anastasia has surgery. Eve is an mechanical engineer in her late 40's and just got sacked from her job. Sally is about the same age and has just decided to leave her husband of many years. These two dissimilar women learn new skills, adjust to each other, and build new relationships with people in their past and people newly met. You may just find yourself reevaluating some decisions and relationships.

This charming novel in the narrowboat genre engages the reader with a promise of reinvention and friendship. The author explores Intergenerational relationships between the characters and represents the narrowboat lifestyle as a camaraderie of independence and creativity.
Descriptive passages of everyday life interwoven with reflection, challenges and personal growth are typical of the genre and the story unfolds with compassion and openheartedness. Fans of katie Ffordes The Rose Revived and Nina George’s The Little Paris Bookshop will enjoy The narrowboat Summer

Lovely!!!! A random, accidental meeting of three women turns into an adventure, and a time of growth. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.