Autumn has defied the odds. A teen mum, she stayed with her boyfriend and they have a stable happy home life. Now she has successfully applied to be a deputy head teacher. Things couldn’t be better, but then she wakes to find her partner Marc has vanished taking half their savings with him. She can’t afford to stay in their rented property so she has to move in with her mum, forfeiting her dream job…
My (Not So) Perfect Summer is a gentle but emotional romantic comedy set in Kent.
This one’s a bit of a rollercoaster! Autumn and Marc bucked the trend and stayed together after their teen romance and pregnancy. But the feelgood doesn’t last. Marc walks out on his girlfriend and daughter and I was incandescent with rage at his selfish behaviour. Poor Autumn is left to pick up the pieces and make the most of a bad situation.
Thankfully there is light relief. Autumn finds herself helping local baker Jake after an accident and falling in love in the process. Her mum and daughter are also healing their hearts with new love opportunities. Then there is the cantankerous busybody Joan and the wider village gossip machine which springs into action frequently.
I found myself completely absorbed by the lives of Autumn and her family. She has so much upheaval to deal with but doesn’t dwell on the negatives. Her pragmatism and energy see her through difficult times but she also has a fantastic family to support her. Marc doesn’t have a single redeeming feature as far as I could see while Jake is trapped in the past and I was eager for him to break free.
My (Not So) Perfect Summer is a warm and emotive romance with bucketloads of family drama and a light hearted tone.
My (Not So) Perfect Summer
Autumn’s summer is off to a smashing start… sort of.
Earlier this year, Autumn’s life looked great: she had a great relationship with her brilliant teenage daughter Chloe and from September she was all set to be Deputy Head at the London school where she works. And with a pay rise on the cards, she was excited for her and her long-term boyfriend Marc to buy their first home.
But Autumn’s barely opened the estate agent’s website when Marc vanishes with half their savings, leaving her no choice but to move into grandma’s rural home in Kent. And things go from bad to worse when Autumn is involved in an accident during the move, leaving the village’s dashing new baker Jake in plaster cast, and making her a local outcast before she’s even unpacked her bags.
Determined to put things right, Autumn offers to help Jake in the bakery over the summer holidays. But as things heat up in the kitchen, Autumn can’t help noticing that Jake is a lot more Paul Hollywood and a lot less Mr Kipling than she originally thought.
Maybe this summer isn’t such a write off after all?
Phoebe MacLeod is the author of several popular romantic comedies. She lives in Kent with her partner, grown up children and disobedient dog. Her love for her home county is apparent in her books, which have either been set in Kent or have a Kentish connection. She currently works as an IT consultant and writes in her spare time. She has always had a passion for learning new skills, including cookery courses, learning to drive an HGV and, most recently, qualifying to instruct on a Boeing 737 flight simulator.
Phoebe loves watching people and observing social interaction. In fact she nearly got into trouble once when a man in a shopping mall thought she was staring at him! As well as curling up with a book, she loves good food, good wine and good friends – especially when all three come together!
