"Summer With My Sister" by Lucy Diamond

Sisters Polly and Clare couldn’t be leading more different lives.  Polly is living in London working in the financial industry and has the apartment and closet to match her high-flying job.  Clare is living in their home village of Elderchurch in a small cottage, a single mum with two children and barely making ends meet.  For years, the girls have barely spoken to each other, convinced they have nothing in common and nothing to cement their sisterly bond.  But when Polly’s life suddenly takes a drastic turn, she finds herself with no money and nowhere to turn but home.

Polly doesn’t want anyone to know the real reason she has returned, even when she has to move in with her sister.  With an old flame reappearing for Polly and a busy new career for Clare, the sisters find themselves leaning on each other for the first time in years.  And when they are forced to confront a family secret they both blamed themselves for, they may realize they need each other more than they ever thought they would.

Summer With My Sister by Lucy Diamond is a lovely chick lit novel about two sisters who are worlds apart in every way but must come together to help each other move on in their lives.

I’ll admit, I love a book with a character who has a high-flying, glamourous life in the city but has to head back home to the quaint town they grew up in.  They don’t have to lose their jobs like in this one, but I love the contrast of the two worlds.  That is what drew me to this book, in addition to the fact that I have enjoyed every other book by Lucy Diamond that I have read.

This is a lovely book.  I really enjoyed the contrast between the sisters and their lives, and very quickly found myself in love with both characters.  Even though Polly may come across as unlikeable and her life is not for everyone, it is a fun world to step into through the pages of a book.  


I did feel like the story took a little long to unfold.  I would have liked to spend less time in the setup and more time in the sisters coming together and making changes in their lives.  This left me feeling like it all wrapped up rather quick.  Some people may feel that the book was a little too predictable but sometimes, that’s the kind of read you are looking for.  This is a wonderful summertime read, by the pool, at the beach, or in the garden.

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