‘Little Bramble is the perfect country village. Brimming with community spirit and warmth. I loved it.’ Phillipa Ashley, author of A Perfect Cornish Escape

A feel-good, uplifting summer read for fans of Heidi Swain and Cathy Bramley.

Emma Patrick’s life is spiralling out of control.

On the cusp of her 50th birthday, she realises that she’s been so focused on work that she’s lost any real connection to people.

When Emma’s ageing father needs her help, she decides to go back home to the countryside to spend some time with him. But returning to Little Bramble after years away is filled with complications and people she’d rather avoid.

To her surprise, as Emma settles in she finds herself loving village life. When the opportunity to get involved in the running of the summer fête comes her way, soon she’s embracing jam making, cake baking and bunting.

And with romance brewing, Emma begins to doubt the glamorous city life that she worked so hard to build . . .

Terrifically Enjoyable!

Another magical visit to Little Bramble!

Fast approaching the big 5-0, Emma Patrick realise that she has no work/life balance – it’s all work, work, work. That’s the problem with working from home when you live alone. When her father needs her help, she returns home to help him out and realises that the village she couldn’t wait to leave in her youth may not be so bad after all. However, there’s more than one reason she hasn’t returned to the village too often and some people she’d rather keep her distance from. Surprisingly, Emma soon finds herself immersed in local events and it may not be that easy to avoid certain encounters . . .

It’s lovely to return to Little Bramble, and I enjoyed that previous characters pop up in this one. With lots of threads weaving in and out, this is a well-crafted story in a charming village which makes a good job of tackling the issue of dementia and how it affects more than just one person. However, this isn’t a sad story, it’s very much an upbeat, uplifting tale with twists and turns along the way making it a very entertaining read! It’s such a pleasure to read about a 50 year old singleton and this book reveals it’s secrets little by little. Terrifically enjoyable, and I live in hope of a return to Little Bramble in the future. Cathy Lake knows how to spin a yarn and satisfy her readers by the final page. Highly recommended and well worth 4.5*.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is – as always – my honest, original and unbiased review.

Tags: romance, women’s fiction

• Format: ebook, paperback, audiobook
• Size: 263 pages
• Publisher: Zaffre
• Publication Date: 10 June 2021
• Book Links:
• https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57875271
• https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Cathy_Lake_The_Country_Village_Summer_Fete?id=tZL3DwAAQBAJ
• https://uk.bookshop.org/books/the-country-village-summer-fete-a-perfect-heartwarming-summer-read/9781838772826
• https://www.foyles.co.uk/witem/fiction-poetry/the-country-village-summer-fete-a-perfe,cathy-lake-9781838772826
• https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/the-country-village-summer-fete
• https://www.whsmith.co.uk/products/the-country-village-summer-fete-a-perfect-heartwarming-summer-read/cathy-lake/paperback/9781838772826.html
• https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-country-village-summer-fete/cathy-lake/9781838772826
• https://www.amazon.co.uk/Country-Village-Summer-Fete-heartwarming-ebook/dp/B08JZG12NL

Author Details

Cathy Lake is a women’s fiction writer who lives with her family and three dogs in beautiful South Wales. She writes uplifting stories about strong women, family, friendship, love, community and overcoming obstacles.

• Twitter: @LakeAuthor
• Facebook: @CathyLakeHouse
• Instagram: @DarcieBoleynAuthor