Main character Lizzie Lockhart is a tattoo artist, no longer close to her parents, they have grown apart. After their death she regrets this. She thought she knew everything about them When secrets are revealed to her, she is hurt at what they kept from her. One of the secrets revealed to her is a charming cottage they owned. Getting to know her neighbors, they aren't overly welcoming to her as they have secrets of their own. A handsome young man, Ben may just have stepped in to help her sort things out and lend a hand. As she discovers more hurtful secrets, she doesn't know why they were kept from her. My favorite character is Ben as he helped give Lizzie her self-confidence back as she puts all the pieces together with her new discoveries.

Pub Date 15 Apr 2021
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Enjoyed this one as the author knew how to get you to keep the pages turning so you'd find out what happened, what the secret/s were, where and how it all went upside down. I devoured this one wanting to discover what had been behind the whole weird behaviour of the heroine's parents (frankly, what a piece of work they were! Nothing really excuses this part, never mind the explanation we get for it)
In this light, the story is very intriguing and keeps you guessing and delivers the secrets hinted at in a satisfying manner. Also really liked the tattoo bits in the tale, and how accurate and real-life they were.
Why this isn't getting 5 stars is for the actual writing itself. Rather choppy at times, dry and cumbersome in parts - if the secrets hadn't hooked me, I'm not sure I would've stayed for the prose, is what I'm saying.
Still, it's very good entertainment and makes for an enjoyable, satisfying read overall

My appreciation of tattooed men has just grown and grown!!

I am in utter heaven here, Samantha Tongue writes the most beautifully emotional and heartwarming stories of real people and their turbulent lives which we don't see in other books. There is real honesty and sensitivity to her writing which really packs a punch, and this is no different!!

This isn't a Romance in the general sense this is a book which will speak to any woman's heart, like all of Samantha Tongues' books this one tackles some hard topics and it does it with compassion and sensitivity for the subject and those who are really living it - something which I love as you become completely drawn into the story, you connect with the characters and their daily struggles.

I loved the insight into the tattoo art trade, I don't have any tattoos (yet, I'm still thinking about what I want) but I am in awe of just how gifted these people are, I loved the little titbits running through which makes you stop and go 'oooh, I never knew that'.

This is a wonderful story, the characters are fabulously written, with real heart and passion, you want them to succeed and are completely invested in their journey, which goes to show what an amazing author Samantha Tongue is.

Overall, this is an absolute delight, wonderfully immersive and emotional.

Lovely feel good book to read. It was a joy to read. Lovely characters. Great plot. The book was charming. Very well written. I’d definitely recommend this book

A great summer read!!

Description
A new start can come from the most unexpected places...
It's been years since Lizzie Lockhart spoke to her parents. But she was safe in the knowledge she knew everything about them. Once upon a time, they were as close as could be. Until they weren't.

After receiving the earth-shattering news of their passing, Lizzie decides it's time to unearth some family secrets and find out just who her parents really were... starting with Streamside Cottage. A cottage Lizzie never knew existed, in a place she's never heard of: the beautiful English village of Leafton.

Leaving behind London, and the tattoo parlour she called home, Lizzie finds herself moving to the countryside. Faced with a tight-lipped community, who have secrets of their own, Lizzie is at a loss for what to do, until her rather handsome neighbour, Ben, steps in to help.

As Lizzie finally begins to piece together the puzzle of her family history she realises she has to confront the truth of the past in order to face her future.

This was a brilliant read and is being featured on my blog for my quick star reviews feature, which I have created on my blog so I can catch up with all the books I have read and therefore review.
See www.chellsandbooks.wordpress.com.

An enjoyable book with a good mixture of mystery, fun and romance. I loved the main character of Lizzie and her quest to find out more about her parents after their unexpected deaths, there were plenty of twists to keep your interest and it worked well going back in time to get the full story

A new start can come from the most unexpected places...
This is the line that took me in. Summer Secrets is a story of discovery and forgiveness…with a lovely setting.

I throughly enjoyed my time at Streamside Cottage and I know you will too.

The summery vibes you get from the cover of this book is reflected by the story within. Character development is really good, and I liked the writing style a lot. Definitely a recommended read.

Summer Secrets At Streamside Cottage has everything i love in a book, love, warmth, laughter and a big slice of mystery, and did I mention tattoo’s! When I opened Summer Secrets At Streamside Cottage I was expecting a feel good read and that’s what I got plus a whole lot more.

Lizzie is a tattooist with a past and each chapter reveals another layer of her life. Chapters alternate between present time and past which leaves you hungry for more, you gradually realise that Lizzie has had a very unusual and restrictive background which have a affected her whole life. When her parents die Lizzie finds out about a cottage in a sleepy village called Leafton that they owned but kept secret at all costs.

Lizzie starts a mission to find out what Leafton meant to her parents and why they insisted nobody knew about it. There are twists and turns throughout the story, some of which I was not expecting!

I loved getting to know each and every character within the pages of Summer Secrets at Streamside Cottage, the romance between Lizzie and Ben is a joy to read and I loved .

the fact at the beginning of every chapter surrounding tattoos.

Summer Secrets At Streamside Cottage has left me with withdrawal symptoms which for me is the sign of a perfect read!

Captivating story. The darker undercurrents just simmering along under the surface make this fantastic reading. Really enjoyable throughout! Not your usual frothy chick lit read. I thought I’d worked out the ending but no! The author manages to pull off the twist. Highly recommended!

Thank you Netgalley

Summer Secrets at Streamside Cottage by Samantha Tonge is a wonderful romantic mystery that I really enjoyed. Lizzie Lockhart has not spoken to her parents for years, when they both died suddenly. Lizzie moved back home, leaving London behind. What she finds is a lot of secrets her parents kept from her. This book really kept my interest, reading it until I was done. I will be reading more books by Ms. Tonge. I highly recommend this book!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This fun beach read is a novel of love, adventure and travel all mixed together. It is pure escapist fiction. I received this novel as an advanced reader copy from net galley in exchange for an honest review.

After an over-protected – loving, but a little stifling – upbringing, Lizzie has struck out on her own, training as a tattoo artist, a job she really loves. She’s become estranged from her parents, but their loss in a tragic accident hits her hard – and when she discovers that they owned a property in the village of Leafton that she didn’t know about, left to her aunt in their will, she decides to visit for a while with no particular plan other than to try to understand a little more about the parents she thought she knew so well. The cottage is a little neglected, but she takes solace in its beautiful natural setting – the woodlands, the river, all beautifully and vividly described – and is welcomed by the community, finding a particular friend in postman Ben, along with a nice frisson of attraction. But she’s no closer to understanding why her parents kept the place a secret, although she does uncover all kinds of other details about the cottage’s past.

As I swept through this book, easy read that it was in some ways, I once again had to reconsider my alignment with the majority of readers of this genre on the blogosphere.
I saw this book everywhere, and I was intrigued by the things that people took away from it. I enjoyed the protagonist's background and all the tattoo information provided at the beginning of each chapter. This gave me something new to understand and think about while I read the book.
In the parts that I did not get along with, the format played an important role. The book goes back and forth in time, we have the Now, and the story first goes back a little way, then each flashback is older than the previous one. This meant some of the stories kept repeating even as revelations are being made. These revelations do not feel as surprising given the number of times we are told to expect something like this.
I did not buy the core secret of the book but enjoyed the different sub-stories of the townspeople and the changes that Lizzie's arrival brings onto the scene. The general inner workings of a small town are laid out in such a way that it is hard not to find oneself interested in the goings-on in everybody's lives. The author's writing and picturization, as well as the cat in the story, made me like the book; I might pick up another book by the author if given a chance.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

This was okay book for me. There are parts that I enjoyed and there are part that I felt little rushed. But all on all a solid 3 stars read

I've always been a huge Samantha Tonge fan. Her books pull you in with a fierce heart and soul and leave you desperate for more and this book was no different. From the outset I knew I was in for a remarkable tale of secrets and intrigue. The narrative teased and taunted me with unearthed nuggets of knowledge leading me to read like there was no tomorrow. The story opened up and revealed its secrets layer by layer, which to me, was the books shining glory. It was elegantly poised and took its time waiting only until the right moment before it laid it's feeling bare. It was addictive engagement from author to reader at its finest.

My journey through the books twists and turns led me to meet many unforgettable characters. I fell hook, line and sinker for Lizzie....I mean what a character. Fragile yet stronger than belief. I felt a keen sense of kinship towards her and she had an aura that shone brightly off the pages. Her life had faced many a tough challenge and my heart went out to her on many occasions, yet it was this inner grit and determination that provided that element of admiration. I know I won't be forgetting her any time soon.

I could go on and on about how wonderful this book is but I shall keep my review short an sweet and simply say.....read it. It's a must and a half and then some. You will not regret diving head first into this beautiful book I can personally guarantee this. I'm only sad It's come to an end.

This book is about Lizzie, a young tattoo artist, who lost contact with her parents and also lost them after some time. When the news comes, she is deeply regretting not reaching out to them to talk to them but what surprises her as well is that they owned an estate in the village of Leafton. As she is not receiving any answers from her aunt, she decides to rent it out over the summer and discover any possible secrets.

Aside the obvious, secrets, I was captivated by the main character Lizzie. I loved how she is someone that stands up for herself and will fight for her dreams, even if everyone is against it. She is a really different character than any other I’ve read in the rom-com stories. I think this is actually my first time to ever come over a character that’s a tattoo artist. Even if she is standing up for herself, she can’t really say no to the charms of the Leafton, which I can totally understand.

Leafton sounds like a pretty little village and it is everything that I like. Not that I’ve ever seen it but the way it was described and the community in it was exactly what made me like it this much. I thought they might push her away, especially due to her tattoos but instead, she was welcomed with open arms and that’s what I was pleasantly surprised about.

This is yet another amazing story written by Samantha Tonge and I have a feeling that her writing style is getting better with each story she writes. Not only that, but she taught me something about tattooing throughout this book and I appreciate it a lot. So if you’ve never read anything by her, I think now would be the perfect time to start.

Lizzie has not spoken to her parents in years.
Then she gets the devastating news they have been killed.
Her parents hadn’t agreed with the decisions she made .
Lizzie finds out her parents had a property in Leafton which they left to her Aunt so she goes there to stay and to see if she can find out mor about her parents and a family history she doesn’t know anything about.
Some of the villagers are not forthcoming regarding her parents either.
A great read
Thanks NetGalley

This book wasn't quite what I was expecting. I won't speak much on the plot because the synopsis tells you as much as you need to know going in. Despite being unlike anything I expected it to be, and leaning into the whole mystery/secrets aspect more than I expected, it overall was not a bad book. Lizzie's struggles with her family and her conflicting feelings surrounding this were very relatable. It was a weirdly compelling book and as much as I wouldn't necessarily say I loved the book, I would recommend picking it up.