When Hannah meets Sonny, she's irresistibly drawn to him: he's sexy and confident, but only in town on holiday. That's fine with Hannah - she doesn't do long-term relationships. And luckily for her, neither does Sonny. But before they can even so much as kiss, Sonny receives some shocking news and commits to making serious life changes - ones that can't and won't include romance.
With even a short fling now off the cards, Hannah and Sonny settle for being friends. But as summer hots up and their chemistry shows no signs of cooling, they start to question their reasons for shutting each other out.
Are they both too broken to find love? And if they tear down the walls between them, will they still like what's on the other side?
Review: Well this was certainly the sexiest Paige Toon novel yet, these characters are all charged and there are lingering looks left right and centre. This book is also chock full of secrets which also makes it incredibly hard to review without giving spoilers but don't worry I'm not giving anything away and neither is this author. Every turn is unexpected and I really didn't see some of the reveals along the way coming at all.
I bonded with Hannah right away, she seems like such an easy going type of person and someone that it would be easy to chat to and get along with and so I was invested in her right from the start. She has had a tough start in life and her secret heartbreak is always there with her affecting her everyday thoughts and actions. Sonny also wears his heartbreak right out there. He is a complex fellow and I have to admit I was somewhat wary of him to begin with but he is a total cinnamon roll of a man, he has a bit of a tough exterior but is soft and lovely in the muddle. He has a whole host of skeletons in his closet and all of those contribute to his complex past and his own secret heartbreak.
This book deals with many many issues that aren't often covered in this genre. A lot of those issues are plot points, reveals or spoilers and so I can't really go into greater detail but I really loved seeing this author tackle some of these topics that might normally seem taboo. One of the messages that comes across in this book is that sex isn't the be all and end all in a relationship, that sex can sometimes be traumatic and there can be love without sex and that is something which I don't think comes up often enough.
We also delve into the area of mental health in this novel, something which thankfully is becoming less and less taboo. Reading about it in this matter of fact way is definitely something that contributes to breaking those barriers and I love the way it is explored and written about in the context of Hannah and Sonny's stories. Of course we have some wonderful settings because it wouldn't be a Paige Toon novel without some wonderful travel adventures whether that's a trip in a canoe along the cam or flying further afield to friends and family in exotic locations. I was there alongside these characters; travelling vicariously through them and having the odd glass of prosecco with them as I did.
This is a beautiful slow burn of a book that explores love in all its forms. I love the topics that Paige Toon has had her characters meet head on and I loved being back in Cambridge again and the One Perfect Summer vibes that it bought. This is the kind of book we all need in our lives right now and it was a pleasure to read, I hope to see these characters again very soon!
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