Seven Days in Summer: The escapist holiday romance set in Devon

4.5★s Seven Days In Summer is a novel by British author, Marcia Willett. Liv is pleased to be travelling to South Devon with her father-in-law, Baz and the twins for a summer break at his Beach Hut. She and Matt have had a busy year at their bar/restaurant in Truro and she feels a little guilty that a staff accident has prevented Matt from joining them. Hopefully he can sort out staff and join them later. The annual gathering of old friends that Baz hosts on the Saturday night is a long-held tradition, much anticipated. Generous food and drink, and lots of catching up is the order of the day. Among those present, there are undeclared loves, some of which are patently obvious to anyone who watches, while others are more closely guarded and only seen by the most observant; this year, a new guest sparks a case of love at first sight, and it’s reciprocal! But not everyone will be happy about it. Meanwhile, back in Truro, a resentful someone from Liv’s past arrives with revenge in mind: the destruction of a family would be the desired result, and Matt is the target, but will he twig to the sneaky tactics employed? From the tone of texts and calls, Liv senses something amiss, but can only hope things will be OK. They have been under a lot of pressure, and she’s feeling restless about their business, feeling it’s time to move to something new. Willett’s story features a beautiful setting and a cast of characters that most readers will warm to, save the really nasty one and the sadly tiresome one. There’s a little intrigue around the past that’s plaguing Baz, and the ending is a realistic one: not everyone gets a happily-ever-after, but there’s promise for many. A heart-warming read that will delight fans of Maeve Binchy and Rosamund Pilcher. This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and St Martin’s Press.