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The Summer House
In the small inlaid wooden box, Matt's mother had kept all his childhood memories.. Amongst them are many photos of Matt as a child, growing up. But something about the photos has always puzzled Matt - was that really him? Why did he not remember those clothes? The toys? And where, in the photos, was his sister Imogen? He has a strange unresolved feeling that there is some...more
Paperback, 304 pages
Published
May 12th 2011
by Corgi Books
(first published 2010)
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Ugh...I finished it. I could not stay with the beginning and my mind kept on wandering. I couldn't keep the people straight and thought that it might be a tool the author was using for a big reveal. No...it was just a false attempt at such I think. I have no idea how I got into it enough to finish it. It had some charming parts but really it was, well, meh.
Furthermore, the author kept on interjecting strange words for verbs...or just using them out of place. I'm sure some would say that is beca...more
Furthermore, the author kept on interjecting strange words for verbs...or just using them out of place. I'm sure some would say that is beca...more
Milo and Lottie are brother and sister-in-law who have raised Imogene and Matt when their mother Helen was unable to look after them. Matt is a successful writer, living in London,looking to fill a hole in his life, and Imogene is living near Milo and Lottie with her husband and infant daughter. Milo has a son Nick by his ex-wife and he needs a large amount of cash. Milo agrees to raise the sum of money by selling the Summer House, a small property attached to the main house, to Imogene and her...more
Still a fluff book, but a step higher than The Great Escape. The writing is a little wooden, and the plot is both contrived and predictable, but it's an enjoyable book, maybe because Willett seems to believe so whole-heartedly in what she writes about: the healing power of the English countryside and family love, even (especially) if that family is patched together. She introduces WAY too many characters whose relationships are far too complex in far too casual a way at the start (Tom was the au...more
Jan 25, 2013
Kirsty
rated it
1 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
never-read-again,
wtf-was-this
Not what I was expecting at all, and not in a good way. Where was the intrigue, suspense and the mystery?
The memory box is hardly mentioned in the first 3/4 of the book, so you spend most of the time waiting for something interesting to happen... not that it ever really does.
There is a mix of convoluted characters that are very insipid and boring, and add no real depth to the book at all. The author tries to explain the relationships between the characters as if this is an important part of th...more
The memory box is hardly mentioned in the first 3/4 of the book, so you spend most of the time waiting for something interesting to happen... not that it ever really does.
There is a mix of convoluted characters that are very insipid and boring, and add no real depth to the book at all. The author tries to explain the relationships between the characters as if this is an important part of th...more
Fans of Pilcher will like this author, but it is very annoying that St. Martin's keeps changing her UK titles to banal interchangeable ones. Be careful not to buy a book you already own!
In this book, nothing much happens - Matt is haunted by a barely remembered childhood and agonizes about becoming involved with a young woman he barely likes - I assume a sequel is forthcoming.
In this book, nothing much happens - Matt is haunted by a barely remembered childhood and agonizes about becoming involved with a young woman he barely likes - I assume a sequel is forthcoming.
It was okay. After Matt's mother dies, Matt, the main character, is trying to find out why he feels as if something has always been missing in his life and why he can not make emotional connections with anyone outside his family. Things don't start to make sense to him until very late in the book. I was wondering what was going to happen since I was quickly running out of pages to read. Then all of these coincidences occur and things fall into place for Matt. In my opinion, the coincidences were...more
"Matt has always felt that there was something missing in his life. His mother kept all his childhood memories in a small inlaid wooden box, along with many photos of Matt as a child. But something about these photos has always puzzled Matt. Why doesn't he remember those clothes? The toys? And where, in the photos, is his sister Imogen?"
I really couldn't get into this book. In the beginning I had trouble keeping track of the characters and their relationships. I found them all a little bland. So...more
I really couldn't get into this book. In the beginning I had trouble keeping track of the characters and their relationships. I found them all a little bland. So...more
4 Blue Ribbon Review courtesy of Romance Junkies. Matt and Imogen's childhood was difficult, dealing with their mother's depression and alcoholism, but they never understood her until Matt follows the clues left behind after her death. Surrounded by good friends who love them like their own children, Imogene and Matt have much to be grateful for, but will they realize that in time to set their future as adults on the right path?
Matt inherited a treasure box of his mother's, which contains all th...more
Matt inherited a treasure box of his mother's, which contains all th...more
Matt, who has written a best-selling novel, is plagued with insecurities and often feels disorientated. His sister Imogen is not entirely happy in her marriage, and their friend Nick is decidedly unhappy with his. Nick's father Milo wants to sell a small house he has been renting out, and would like it to remain with one of his loved ones...
There are a lot of sub-plots and a large cast in this book, and it took me a while to sort them all out. It's written in Marcia Willett's usual warm style,...more
There are a lot of sub-plots and a large cast in this book, and it took me a while to sort them all out. It's written in Marcia Willett's usual warm style,...more
Three and a half stars for me: likable characters (as usual the most interesting characters are beyond the flush of youth). In this book they are Lottie and Milo, who have lived together for years as brother and sister, and Milo's lover, the formerly glamorous and still flirtatious-at-70 Venetia. The main characters, however, are Imogen, who longs to buy the summer house she has loved since childhood, improvident Nick (Milo's son) who is ready to trade in his difficult wife for Imogen, and Imoge...more
Matt has been left a small box where his late mother kept memories of his childhood. He remembers vividly putting small items into the box and locking them securely away. But opening the box not long after his mother's death, Matt sees what is inside in a different light. Teh photographs evoke memories but not that he can recall, he cannot remember the clothes, the toys, the background is wrong and where is his sister Imogen? Matt recognises something is wrong but he cannot focus his mind to wha...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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The first couple of pages of this book didn't grab me, so I set it aside for a couple of weeks. Once I got into the story, however, I was charmed by the characters and the setting and finished the book quite quickly. The central plot contains a mystery that I didn't find very mysterious; it includes 3 different elements, one of which I guessed when it was first referenced, and the other two before the book ended. I don't know if Willett's intention was for readers to understand these plot elemen...more
This was a very pleasant read, but not up to par with some of my favorite Marcia Willett books (THE CHILDREN'S HOUR, for one). The characters were engaging and I enjoyed the storyline, but it felt the slightest bit stilted compared to her other stuff. As an aside, I guessed the twist almost immediately -- this didn't spoil the story, but there you have it.
I liked the characters in this book, but the story seemed to move slow. I wanted something big to happen, but it never really did. There is lots of description almost to much. The end left me disappointed. I'm glad it was a fast read I may have put down otherwise.
My reading history with Willett is hit and miss but each book is a self-contained story full of good characterization, beautiful settings, and involving plots. I'm sure those who have read the series from the start have had a thoroughly rewarding experience.
This book went no where. It didn't even have a good "following someone's life" story that I am usually a total sucker for. I was bored by the almosts and the what ifs and just felt myself going COME ON SOMETHING HAPPEN! Sigh.It was horrible.
English countryside. Lovely gardens and tiny cottages. These are done of the reasons I love books by Marcia Willett.
This one has a bit of everything. A little romance, a spark of mystery and some of the ordinary.
This one has a bit of everything. A little romance, a spark of mystery and some of the ordinary.
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I liked this simple story. It may not have had a big plot and diverse characters but for a summer read it fit the bill. I enjoyed the family dynamic and the genuine love they had for each other. The ending was a bit predictable but I really didn't mind. The characters where enjoyable, and likable and I found myself cheering for them when things went their way. A bit mushy and predictable but again It was a fun summer read.
Loved this book. My first read from this author. Wouldn't say it is great literature, but it was a good story and was transported back to London which I dearly love and miss. I will read more of her books.
I finished it, but I'm not sure it was worth the effort. It just moved so slowly. I really wanted to like the story and the characters but I just didn't really connect with them.
a bit of a hard to believe yet predictable twist at the end, but a really engaging story. many characters, most very well fleshed out and believable, if not loving to a fault.
I really liked this book. It's not my usual read, but I think most people would enjoy it. It's a little bit mystery, but mostly about a family and some of the issues that come with families.
Loved this book as I do almost all of her books. Her books remind me of Rosamund Pilcher'sand Maeve Binchey's, two more of my favorite authors.
Good book. Parts of it made me sad, because of where my life is right now. I really did enjoy reading it, though. I thought the ending left an opening for a sequel.
Another great book by Marcia Willett.. She writes of the English countryside and people and is very discriptive..I enjoyed this book immensly..
Took me a while to get into this one but it picked up and I enjoyed it. I surely hope there is going to be a sequel to find out what was left hanging!
Dec 11, 2012
Virginia
added it
It was a fluff book and not that compelling just as some reviews said. But I was in the mood for it so it was read
Marcia Willett is one of my favorite authors...this book I truly enjoyed and do recommend it highly.
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Marcia Willett began her career as a novelist when she was fifty years old. Since that first novel Marcia has written twenty more under her own name as well as a number of short stories. She has also written four books under the pseudonym "Willa Marsh", and is published in more than sixteen countries.
Marcia Willett's early life was devoted to the ballet, but her dreams of becoming a ballerina end...more
More about Marcia Willett...
Marcia Willett's early life was devoted to the ballet, but her dreams of becoming a ballerina end...more
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