Paige Toon

Liv and Finn meet six summers ago. After a fun night turns to tragedy, they are forever bonded. But life and commitments get in the way and they endure a long distance relationship until one falls in love.

This is a totally new author to me, but I can’t wait to delve into her backlog and anxiously await her next read. This beautiful, summery cover spoke to me, and the description sealed the deal. But the writing and storyline had me turning the pages, devouring the story. I loved the characters, especially the lovable Michael. I so appreciated the way the author portrayed Michael’s condition and fierce independence and Liv’s devotion to him. All characters and situations were realistic and relatable. I enjoyed seeing the characters mature and make some tough decisions. I read this with a lump in my throat and a tissue in hand. This book gave me all the feels…loss, family and always love at the center.

Thanks to Putnam Books and NetGalley for this ARC. This is my honest opinion.… (more)

Ich bin den Büchern von Paige Toon nun schon ein paar Mal in diversen Lesecommunities begegnet und war nie schlüssig, ob ich eins ihrer Bücher auch mal zur Hand nehmen sollte. Da seichte Liebesromane ehe weniger mein Interesse wecken.
Als ich dann auf diese Kurzgeschichte gestoßen bin, habe ich mir gedacht, dass ich die €0,99 ruhig ausgeben kann, um wenigstens einen Eindruck von Toon's Schreibstil zu erhalten. Und ich muss sagen, ich wurde nicht enttäuscht.

"Das Glück im Blick" ist eine nette kleine Geschichte zum Frühstück am Wochenende oder nachmittags zum Käffchen. Durch denn leichten und lockeren Schreibstil der Autorin kam ich super schnell durch das Buch und hatte die 40 Seiten der Kindle Edition während eines gemütlichen Frühstücks weggeatmet.

Die Protagonistin Lily war mir von Anfang an sehr sympathisch, genauso wie ihr Ehemann Ben. Das Setting der Kurzgeschichte war realistisch, genauso wie die Gedanken und Gefühle von Lily. Da diese Kurzgeschichte aus ihrer Sicht erzählt wird.

Wer also eine kurzweilige Kurzgeschichte sucht, die auch ein wenig Romantik enthält ist mit "Das Glück im Blick" gut beraten.… (more)

Seven Summers is a heart wrenching contemporary romance from Paige Toon about love, loss, family, and fate.

The summer Liv meets Finn, tragedy binds them, and then tears them apart. Liv’s life is in Cornwall where she tends bar, creates sculptures, and watches over her brother. Finn’s life is in LA where his career as a singer/songwriter is taking flight. Forced to part as the season turns, the lovers make a solemn vow, if they are both single when Finn returns a year from now, they will renew their romance, setting the scene for a love story seven years in the making.

Moving between the present day and the tumultuous events of the six previous summers, Seven Summers is an emotional journey that charts the course of Liv and Finn’s relationship. Toon elicits smiles as the couple make the most of the time they are together, and tears each time they part. Their romance is passionate, sweet, and all-consuming, and I was wholly invested in it. But eventually something has to change and when Liv meets Tom, she is forced to make a choice. To Toon’s credit, Liv and Tom’s relationship is equally as compelling, and ultimately as heartrending. It’s a unique twist on a love triangle trope that makes a statement about soul mates and second chances.

While Seven Summers is a romance at its core, it’s also much more than just that. In some ways it’s a coming of age story, as Liv is only just in her twenties when the story begins, and as a consequence of her loss, she gives up on her plans and becomes sort of stuck. With the immediacy of the first person perspective, the narrative is quite intimate so that the reader shares in Liv’s journey as she navigates her grief, guilt and yearning.

Poignant, wistful and hopeful, Seven Summers is another heartfelt novel that will give you all the feels.… (more)