The Summer Seekers

By Sarah Morgan

Published by HQ

What’s it about?

Get swept into a summer of sunshine, soul-searching, and shameless matchmaking with this delightfully big-hearted road-trip adventure!

Kathleen is eighty years old. After she has a run-in with an intruder, her daughter wants her to move in to a residential home. But she’s not having any of it. What she craves—what she needs—is adventure.

Liza is drowning under the daily stress of family life. The last thing she needs is her mother jetting off on a wild holiday, making Liza long for a solo summer of her own.

Martha is having a quarter-life crisis. Unemployed, unloved and uninspired, she just can’t get her life together. But she knows something has to change.

When Martha sees Kathleen’s advertisement for a driver and companion to share an epic road trip across America with, she decides this job might be the answer to her prayers. She’s not the world’s best driver, but anything has to be better than living with her parents. And traveling with a stranger? No problem. Anyway, how much trouble can one eighty-year-old woman be?

As these women embark on the journey of a lifetime, they all discover it’s never too late to start over.

As these women embark on the journey of a lifetime, they all discover it’s never too late to start over….

What I think:

This is heartwarming summer escapism with a cast if characters that you will love.

Three women at different stages of their lives, but all feeling lonely and suffocated by their circumstances.

Kathleen was a television travel presenter. I’m old enough to remember watching ‘Wish You Were Here…?’ as a child and how wonderful it thought that jib would be. The downside is that she missed lots of her daughter’s childhood and their relationship has paid the price.

Kathleen’s daughter Liza is a character that lot of women will relate to. Fulltime teacher and mother, her life revolves around caring for others and organising the household. She feels unappreciated and has lost sightof her own interests and passions.

And then there is Martha, whom I loved. She is 25, warm and caring, friendly and chatty. But lost. She dropped out of university, currently unemployed and her relationship is a disaster. Her nagging mother constantly compares her to perfect Pippa, the sister who can do no wrong.

Accompanying Kathleen on her roadtrip is a chance for her to get away for a while and experience adventure. Kathleen can prove she is still independent and look to mend some of the broken bridges in her past. For Liza, staying in the UK and heading to Cornwall to check in on Kathleen’s cat, she finally understands what she wants from her life.

Kathleen and Martha has such a lovely friendship that develops quickly. They recognise something they need in each other. Despite her heartache, Martha is still open to love and happiness. She’s empathetic and emotionally intelligent. Kathleen is straight talking and direct. She gives Martha the confidence to be herself. And the people they meet along the way add to the adventure.

This was a great read, full of love and humour and sunshine. It’s perfect for beach reading or when you need to escape from a rainy wet weekend.

Thank you HQ Books for gifting me a copy of the book and inviting me to be a part of the blog tour.