Blog Tour – Summer in the City by Fiona Collins

Thank you to Anne @RandomTTours for my place on the tour and @TransworldBooks for my gifted paperback in exchange for review. All opinions are honest and my own.

Blurb

If you like Jill Mansell, Maeve Haran and Katie Fforde, you will love SUMMER IN THE CITY, a romantic and uplifting story of a father and daughter exploring the world around them for the first time in years.
Prue is not someone you would notice willingly. She likes to keep herself to herself and fade into the background. If it were not for the birthmark on her left cheek, she might actually succeed at becoming invisible.
She spends all of her time with her blind father, Vince. Together, they sit in silence and ignore the vibrant city just on their doorstep. Life is as good as what’s on TV. That is, until something forces them both to go outside and see what they have been missing. For Vince, that means discovering how to see the world without his sight. For Prue, that means finding the courage to finally love and be loved in return.
A story about family, friendship and facing your fears head on, this is a heart- warming story that will stay with you long after you have finished the last page.

My Review

I have found my booky doppelgänger, like me Prue turned 48 last week but not only that, we also share the same acerbic wit and have lives that many would consider dull. I instantly fell in love with her outlook on life and what really struck a chord with me was the sentence, after taking her blind dad for a check up at the eye clinic, “Yes Mr Alberta, you’re still blind”. As I have had check ups pretty similar to that!

I was a little surprised to discover that this wasn’t the light hearted joyful read I had expected from both the cover and the blurb. It covers some pretty dark topics in places, including a suicide fairly early on. Prue is also a glass half empty kind of girl who thinks everyone else’s glasses are overflowing. Far from being disappointed I thought these brought a reality to her story, after all roses need manure to bloom their best and I so wanted her to bloom in a fabulous dress from “Loved Before” and finally feel beautiful.

When Prue and her dad Vince finally embark on leaving their sanctuary at The Palladian the book opens up along with their world. The glorious descriptions of London make you feel as if you are walking alongside them and experiencing the city for the first time.

The romantic aspect of the book was nice with Prue going from loneliness to two possible suitors but for me the best relationship was the father daughter one which was utterly charming and wonderful.

For someone who believes the stories she has to tell wouldn’t inspire or delight a soul. I can categorically state that’s where Prue is very wrong as she captivated and delighted me with every word.

About the author

Fiona Collins grew up in an Essex village and after stints in Hong Kong and London returned to the Essex countryside where she lives with her husband and three children. She has a degree in Film and Literature and has had many former careers including TV presenting in Hong Kong, traffic and weather presenter for BBC local radio and film/TV extra. You can find her on Twitter @FionaJaneBooks.

Link to buy

Don’t forget to check out all the other blogger’s thoughts on the tour. Happy reading!

‘Beautifully crafted, funny, uplifting and guaranteed to leave you smiling!!! This is one of those BIG WONDERFUL books that pulls you in and doesn’t let you go until the very last page.’
‘It was so well written that it drew me in and captivated me. I didn’t want it to end.’
‘This is a book which would make a great Richard Curtis movie – it’s feel-good and poignant and very, very funny.’
‘Fabulous book, I laughed and cried and every emotion in between.’
‘A lovely heartwarming romance that makes you think and stays with you.’