Synopsis
A dream home
Beca Valentino is ready to escape the city. When she sees the perfect house for sale in her hometown, it seems like fate. Is this her chance to build the foster family she dreams of, on the beautiful Pembrokeshire coast?
A big mistake?
Returning home isn’t as easy as she thought, however. Her family’s beloved ice cream café is gone – turned into a soulless wine bar by her hateful ex-boyfriend. Reconnecting with her oldest friend, fisherman Griff, isn’t straightforward either. And when, instead of the children she expected to take in, two wary teenage boys appear on her doorstep, Beca fears she’s made a terrible mistake.
A recipe for change
But an old family recipe book is just the inspiration she needs. Soon, with a little help from friends old and new, Beca is selling mouth-watering homemade gelato from a pop-up café on the beach.
Then disaster strikes. Will the Valentino family legacy be lost forever? Or can Beca create a new recipe for happiness?
Review
Summer at the Ice Cream Café by Jo Thomas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Welcome the warm, sun-soaked days of summer. The light beaming into your windows as you pick up this book. Take a stroll down a coastal path around a quaint Welsh village. Whether it’s enjoying an ice cream cone on your way to the waterfront shoppes or taking in the cool mist of sea spray as you peer over the edge of the boardwalk railing, readers looking for a story that will take you on a lovely holiday getaway will look forward to diving in!
I would like to thank Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for providing me with an advance readers copy via access to the galley for free through the NetGalley program.
Expected publication: June 8, 2023.
The Story
This one is a fun, heartfelt, and refreshing getaway.
A settling back into hometown. Reminiscing memories. Love tango. Life stage challenges and regrets. Speaking straight to the heart. Rediscover of self. Learning when and how to move forward.
Yacht-clubs. Zumba on the beach. Town gardening. Fisherman’s pier. Seagulls calling overhead.
Gelato sundaes topped with hot fudge. Paninis and fresh baguettes. Cider and sausages. Cheese sandwiches and a glass of bubbling Prosecco. Lobster rolls. A feast of fish and chips.
The Writing
I devour everything Jo Thomas writes. Writing you just melt into. I liked the reveal of former relationships. The layering of subplot. Nothing too forced whether characterization or main story, the details always work themselves out, an effortless feel to reading about whatever, wherever any adventure is next.
Always a treat! Looking forward to the next one!
Where will the picturesque, immersive escape be next?
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