Cover Image: A Home in the Sun

A Home in the Sun

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

Judith is happy in Malta with her lover, but an accident forces her to return to England to reassess her life and future. She needs to move back into her house, but Adam is living there. They become friends and she re-establishes her family relationships, while grieving the loss of her lover. She becomes everyone else's support, whilst coping with her own issues. Adam wants to help, but will she let him? Great characters, warmly written by someone who clearly has actually been to Malta, this was a lovely read

Was this review helpful?

A fabulous read. We follow Judith's story which starts in Malta where she has been living and working for four years and then returning home to England after her boyfriend has an accident . It is a really interesting and enjoyable journey she takes, with many family problems and relationships that are difficult and also emotional at times but she finally makes peace with herself as she decides what it is she really wants and needs to get away from her past. I really recommend this novel a 5⭐read

Was this review helpful?

Sue does such a good job of transporting you to the destinations and locations that she is writing about and always makes me want to pay them a visit. This book wasn’t any different and it took me straight back to a holiday in Malta that I had a few years ago. I think it also helped that I was reading this while sat in front of a pool in the Maldives so the heat was definitely relatable!

There are definite ups and down in Judith’s story as she is trying to come to terms with the bereavement of her partner, but the book isn’t all doom and gloom and I actually found it quite warming. The relationship between Judith and Kieran was really special and just shows that family doesn’t have to fit into specific boundaries. It is clear that they think the world of each other and would do anything for the other.

I also really liked seeing the dynamic between Judith and Adam progress through the book, experiencing ups and down both together and apart. I did have to chuckle when a certain creature got let loose in the house though!

This is a book that will take you on an emotional journey but Sue is there to guide you through it all. I read this in a matter of hours because I got hooked and just wanted to know what was going to happen with every aspect of the story. Another great book by Sue and I look forward to reading more

Was this review helpful?

Love sues book.ms. Girlie feel good book. Really enjoyed this one. Read in one sitting which was brilliant!

Was this review helpful?

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.

Was this review helpful?

Another wonderful book from my favourite author. Beautiful scenery and relatable characters makes fo4 a perfec5 read.

Was this review helpful?

Beautiful descriptions of locales, sharp prose, and well etched characters that made this a wonderful read. enjoyed it completely.

Was this review helpful?

Initially, I found it hard to get into this book which begins on the island of Malta. However, I did persevere and was so glad that I did. Divorcee Judith lives on the sunny island of Malta helping to run the family estate agency. She meets and begins a romance with Georgio which ends in tragic circumstances. Heartbroken, she returns to England, staying with her sister as her own house is rented to Adam, a photographer, and his son Caleb. Judith has to pick up her life again in England but it doesn't come easily or without its problems. Once the story moved back to England I think the book improved and I really did enjoy it. It is such a heart warming book with such realistic problems and situations that many people have to deal with. The characters are richly detailed, warts and all. Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read and review this book.

Was this review helpful?

This was an enjoyable read from Sue Moorcroft. I liked the setting, it was warmly written, maybe a little predictable but enjoyable none the less.

Was this review helpful?

As a massive fan of Sue Moorcroft for many years, I've read the majority of her books but not her first ever published novel, which has just been re-released A Home in the Sun, with some editing.

And it certainly is a good debut novel, although being honest I prefer her newer releases, but there is nothing wrong with this story at all.

Set between Malta and the UK, we have Judith who was having a relationship with Giorgio, not that it was recognised by his friends and family, and that ends in the most terrible way.

Trying to come to terms with it all she flees back to the UK, into her sister's not so loving house while trying to kick Adam Le Blond who she used to fancy back in her school days out of her house, as he is renting from her at the moment.

Nothing goes quite according to plan, and this is about her getting her life back on track,

I enjoyed Judith's interactions with many people but especially her ex-stepson to whom she is still really close., and who is involved in a tricky storyline of this own.

All the characters felt real and well formed and some certainly left more of an impression than others.

Set in the early 2000s, it was nice to be back in a pre-Covid, pre Brexit world for a bit, and to feel safe amongst these pages, knowing they have been crafted by an author who has gone on to write some rather impressive books!

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

Was this review helpful?

I’ve read a few sue moorcroft books now and enjoyable everytime. This was no different. Perfect. Thankyou for giving me the chance to read it

Was this review helpful?

At the beginning of the book, Judith has a wonderful life in Malta, living with her much younger partner and working for her uncle’s estate agency. When Giorgio dies in a tragic accident, Judith goes back to Northamptonshire to escape the memories. She is heartbroken and finding it hard to come to terms with her loss, and this is exacerbated by his family’s old-fashioned, traditional attitudes to her and her place in his life.
The contrasting settings of Malta and Northamptonshire are vividly described. The characters are well drawn and relatable, though not always particularly likeable. It took me quite a while to warm to Judith, and Giorgio always seemed fairly superficial. Back in England her life is complicated, but the various problems she faces are lightened with humour as she tries to find closure and decide what to do with the rest of her life.
I had read and enjoyed most of Sue Moorcroft’s early books, but must have missed this one as it turns out to be a reissue of her very first book Uphill All the Way from 2005. It is darker in mood than some of the others, and the change of title does not make a lot of sense. Nevertheless, I enjoyed A Home in the Sun and look forward to reading Sue Moorcroft’s next book.
Thanks to Avon for the invitation to read and review A Home in the Sun, and NetGalley for providing the digital copy.

Was this review helpful?

Yet another superb read from sue moorcroft. I always find her books to be enjoyable and relaxing to read.

Was this review helpful?

This book was such an emotional Journey. This is a first Moorcroft for me and I definitely wasn't disappointed.

I feel like I could feel every thing that Judith was going through. My heart hurt for her, explored, soared. It was such a rollercoaster of emotions. But in a good way.

I look forward to reading more from Moorcroft. 😍

Was this review helpful?

An enjoyable read, transported me to Malta at some points. Sensitively written about the cultural differences between here and Malta.. All in all a good storyline though a little predictable in some places.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I really enjoy Sue's books, they are such wonderful escapism reads with brilliant characters and storylines. And this one was definitely amazing. It was just lovely and such an engrossing read.

Was this review helpful?

When I am looking for something in the contemporary fiction genre to read this author is one that I know will make me feel good while reading it.

A Place in the Sun starts in Malta, it's where Judith has come to live and work after the breakdown of her marriage. She loves the place and feels settled. Even more so when she meets and falls for a local. After a tragic accident Judith feels alone and unwelcome so returns to her home in England.

It is when she is back living with her sister and trying to come to terms with her loss that she decides what she wants to do with her life. The first job is moving back into her cottage, not as straightforward as she had initially hoped.

The author has once again woven a gorgeous story of love, loss and starting over. The gorgeous setting of Malta is overshadowed by grief, but the author transports the author into Judith's story as she begins her life again, back where she started. Everyone has a past, Judith is no exception, she has confrontations with her ex, deals with her sister and worries about her stepson and mum. Even though Judith is trying to heal she is looking out for others.

The author creates a character with Judith who comes across as strong, motivated and determined but is actually vulnerable and riddled with doubts. The storyline was quite a refreshing one as it has various turns and dilemmas that I wasn't expecting.

One thing is for sure, that you cant deal with the future until you have comes to terms and accepted the past. This is something that only Judith herself can work out. Where is home, where does she feel she can settle, can she deal with the memories or will she hide her feelings while she is busy helping others out!

A gorgeous story with a fabulous cast of characters, some that you will love and some that really need a lesson in manners and respect. This is one for those who love contemporary fiction and romance stories. It is one I would definitely recommend.

Was this review helpful?

Judith leaves Malta, and her previously happy life there, to return to England to a miserable sister, frail mother ,and unpleasant ex husband. Will she ever be able to settle back in England? An ideal book for holidays and cold days.

Was this review helpful?

I enjoyed this book for the most part. It was a slow start and I did relate to the main character being an older woman. Not a page turner, but an enjoyable, gentle read.

Was this review helpful?

I have read and enjoyed another book by this author. I found the use of a lead protagonist belonging to the slightly older age group brought out its own variety to the narrative.
In this story also, we have a lead protagonist who is looking to live a better life now that she has separated from her husband. Judith is living in Malta, and her life is shown in two parts. One is before she meets her partner on the island, and the other is her life before she loses him. The bulk of what we watch unfold is after both those parts come together and then apart. If my review seems a little confusing, I must admit I was too. There is usually a before and an after, but this is the first time that we go back to the before part of the tale.
Judith is an interesting person to follow. She is fiercely independent, but she does not really listen to reason once she gives her heart to something or someone. The position she finds herself in when Giorgio meets with an accident is not a positive one. She feels unmoored, and rightly so. As she heads back to England, the situation does not correct itself. She is forced to make a lot of decisions that change the way she leads life.
The book is heavy in parts and lighter in others. I found it easy to read, but the story was not completely my thing. I liked some aspects of it, enough to finish the book. I would not know how to categorize this within the genre. Nothing overtly bothered me enough about the way things ended up; I think I appreciated the characters (both good, bad and mixed) more than the story that their lives were.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

Was this review helpful?