Summer With My Sister [Paperback]

Sisters, Clare and Polly have never had what you call a sisterly bond, but that's all about to change.
Craving success, Polly had turned her back on her family several years ago. Her demanding, high powered job in London, with glamourous lifestyle to match helped her to forget the past, and being successful was more important to her than anything else.
However, Polly's life changes when she loses her job and home. With no money and nowhere to go, she finds herself living back with her family.
Single mum Clare still lives in the village where they grew up. She struggles to make ends meet, working part time at the medical centre, but her parents and friends are close at hand and always there to support her.
Clare is not exactly pleased with the news of Polly return and reluctantly decides to help out. Polly comes to stay for the summer. It's an eventful one, but by the end of it, the future looks better for both of them and in more ways than one.
This is a great read. I instantly warmed to Clare. Polly is not so easy to like initially, but she learns to be true to herself and I really warmed to her.
The story has several themes; family secrets, sisterhood and romance, to name a few, and all combine to make an entertaining read. The story also has a deeper side and a good balance of funny/light and serious moments.
Yes, the plot is a little predictable on the romance side, but the believable characters and really good storyline make this book a very worthwhile read.
I've only recently discovered Lucy Diamond's books and have been delighted so far. Lucy's last novel, The Beach Café, is a wonderful read with a warm central character and a stunning location - a café on a Cornwall beach. Pure escapism!

I have never read a Lucy Diamond before, despite having had 'The Beach House' on my shelf for a while. I was attracted to this one simply because of the beautiful cover. It really is lovely and very summery! The synopsis sounded good as well.

The story follows Poppy, a workaholic who, for reasons I won't reveal, has to move back home. Claire, her sister, is the complete opposite and not at all happy about her sister moving back home, especially as she hasn't paid a bit of notice to her niece and nephew since they were born! However, as the story goes along, they begin to appreciate each other more. There is also a more serious storyline which is dealt with really well. I like how this isn't just a 'light' read.

I really enjoyed this book and felt like I really got to know all the characters. I think Diamond's strength with this novel is that she hasn't got a great big cast list and this really allows you to build up a relationship.

A perfect book for Summer. I will be hunting out more of Lucy Diamond's work in the future!

The book begins by introducing us to the life of high-flyer Polly. She's moved away from the small village she grew up in, and now lives in a flash London apartment, gets paid a lot of money to work in the financial sector, and loves to live her life to the full - she's not afraid to splash her cash either. So when she is suddenly made redundant without warning, Polly feels life crumbling around her, and is forced to return home to live with her parents. Sister Clare, a divorcee and mother of two makes ends meet by working as a doctor's receptionist, and making homemade gifts for her friends and family. When her successful sister is suddenly back in her life, Clare becomes resentful of Polly's attitudes, and the women fail to get along. But they are both hiding guilt over something that happened in their pasts. Will they get past it to finally realise the importance of their sister?

There was something about this book I just loved. I loved that there weren't too many characters to get confused with, I loved that the book had a point and got to it straight away re Polly and Clare not getting along as sister's, and I loved the development of the story as it went on. I found Diamond's writing was easy to read and enjoyable, and really brought the characters to life with ease. Polly was a bit of stuck-up snob at the beginning of the book, and as we aren't immediately told why, it's difficult to be sympathetic towards her in any way. I found Diamond's descriptions of Polly and her lifestyle really good, and made it vivid in my mind. It was hard to feel sorry for her, even when her life started crumbling, but something bout her made me like her in a small way.

Clare was the character I could really relate to - a single mum working hard to do her best for her family. She's bogged down with everyone else's perceptions of her and when an opportunity arises that could change her life, she's reluctant as she doesn't have the confidence. Also, she's resentful of Polly returning and acting like the world owes her a favour, and you can really sense that resentment through Diamond's writing. Both of these female characters seemed so realistic, and were both strong females who carried the book easily. The way Diamond progresses their relationships, both with each other and with the new respective males in their lives, was enjoyable, and I really loved the whole book, I couldn't put it down. The whole thing just felt very believable as I was reading, and I was really praying for a happy ending for the women!

This is a book I highly recommend for summer reading - it's a great read with lovely characters that will have you wanting happiness for both of them, especially as secrets are revealed during the book that are both shocking and heart-breaking - I was actually shocked when it was revealed as I hadn't expected it at all. The sisters, Polly and Clare were great characters, each with their own problems and resentful of each other's lifestyles without realising it. The book makes you realise the importance of families and siblings, and sticking together when you most need it. I loved every page, and this is most definitely Diamond's best book yet.