The Forgotten Summer cover art

The Forgotten Summer

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About this listen

The annual grape harvest at the Cambon family's magnificent vineyard is always a cause for celebration. But not this year.

When an accident destroys the crop, Clarisse Cambon knows exactly who to blame - her daughter-in-law, Jane. Forced to take charge of the ailing vineyard, Jane uncovers proof that Luc may not be the man she fell in love with 20 years ago. And, worse still, she knows that her old enemy, Clarisse, is the only one who knows the truth....

©2016 Carol Drinkwater (P)2016 W F Howes Ltd Fiction Genre Fiction Small Town & Rural Women's Fiction
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Another captivating story by Carol Drinkwater made even more visual through her reading. A novel that tugs at a gamut of emotions. As with all of Carol's books, this is a story to return to over and over again.

Enthralling....

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I really like Carol and her non-fiction books, however this is her first fiction book I've read. Sadly it was a bit of a let down. I did enjoy listening to it initially, but the story just didn't develop. I found it overly long and drawn out and not much happens. It relied a lot on internal monologue of the central character (Jane) and that was way too over detailed. At one point I fell asleep for an hour and missed nothing. The big mystery was easy to guess very close to the start of the novel so there was no suspense for me.

The story tells of a woman (Jane) who doesn't get on with her mother in law but is devoted to her husband, Luke. They live in London where her father is in a care home. but are drawn back to the French vineyard of Luke's childhood. We don't know why Jane & her mother in law don't get on and this is dragged out a long time and then not very dramatic when revealed. I didn't much like Luke or his wife Jane and I found it difficult to care.

As a narrator Carol is good, although I do like author-narrators. She reads well and has the right voices and pace. Sadly the story was just too light and insipid for me.

A light tale with little depth

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I lovely relaxing listen . Carol’s voice is great, the story didn’t gallop along , I was transported and loved the descriptions of life in the vineyards and olive groves in beautiful southern France

A moving and sensitively written story

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