This is the first book by this author that I have read and I really enjoyed it. About a family who have a cottage in Devon and descend on it each summer en masse, it's a tale of family secrets and how they overcome them. Will be reading books by this author again. ( )

I love Lucy's books and this one really didn't disappoint. Its a feel good summer read that I really needed. ( )

‘Summer at Shell Cottage’ features an extended family who congregate each summer for a couple of weeks in Devon, in the family’s ‘Shell Cottage’. This particular year there are many stresses, some long-term and some new and unexpected...

The writing style is quite informal at times, almost stream-of-consciousness in places. Different chapters take different viewpoints, so we see the family dynamics well. While a few of the characters are a bit two-dimensional and stereotyped, the three main women and the children felt like real people, and I quickly found that I cared about them all.

Towards the end it was difficult to put the book down. While some revelations were predictable, there was one shock which I had not seen coming. Maybe the concluding chapter was a bit too neat and tidy, but that's the way I like books to end.

Overall I liked it very much. Perhaps some would find it slow-moving or caricatured, but I thought it an enjoyable and uplifting read. If you like character-driven women’s fiction, and are looking for something light and undemanding as a summer read, I would definitely recommend it. ( )