Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE:  The Summer of Us

AUTHOR:  Lily Morton

PUBLISHER:  Self-published

LENGTH:  222 pages

RELEASE DATE:  November 22, 2016

BLURB:

It’s going to be a long hot summer.

John is an exceptionally good lawyer. He’s driven, arrogant, and hides a warm heart beneath a façade of cool politeness. He’s used to people disliking him, but for some reason, when meeting Matt in London, the other man’s open dislike bothers him.

He’s therefore surprised to find himself offering Matt a place to stay in his villa in the South of France while he’s working nearby. He’d actually planned to spend the summer working on his book and plotting to get his ex-wife back. However, his perfect plans take a blow as the long hot summer progresses and the two men get closer, and John starts to nurse an unexpected attraction to his houseguest from hell.

Matt is John’s polar opposite. He’s warm, funny, sociable, and scruffy. He loves people, and they love him back. However, to his consternation, he hates John. His arrogance, public school voice, and the air of superiority that he carries around aggravate Matt unbearably. So the idea of staying in his home with just him for company sounds torturous and not in a good way.

However, as the summer days slip by, he’s forced to realise that maybe he’s not such a good judge of character because underneath that arrogance is a warm, vulnerable man who’s incredibly sexy. The only problem is that while Matt is gay, John is straight, and Matt now wants him more than he’s ever wanted anything in his life.

See what happens when two men who think they have nothing in common apart from a past mutual hatred find out that they might be each other’s future.

REVIEW:

The Summer of Us is a low-key, heartwarming love story set in the French Riviera. This was Lily Morton’s first foray into the world of MM Romance way back in 2016, and the gorgeous new cover prompted me to take a look inside. It’s unlike her subsequent books in that it doesn’t contain the trademark snark for which Ms. Morton is well known. If you approach the book without the expectation of that humor, you’ll be rewarded with endearing characters, a gorgeous setting, a delicious slow burn – a VERY slow burn – and abundant, steamy, sexy times.

John Harrington, the arrogant lawyer for the band Beggar’s Choice, cares not one iota what people think of him. That is, until Matt Dalton, friend and assistant to one of the band’s members, takes a great dislike to John. Easy-going Matt is a natural caretaker, the one who always provides comfort to others. He’s full of life, generous with his smiles, and has a natural charm that draws people to him. And he, in turn, likes everyone, so John feels hurt that he’s the exception and wonders if Matt’s hostility means he’s truly unlikable. Eager to prove his theory wrong, he invites Matt to stay at his Cannes villa with him for the summer when Matt has work to do nearby.

Once they’re housemates, John doesn’t understand why he’s attracted to the other man – he’s straight, after all – but he’s aware their relationship is stretching beyond friendship. He’s starting to question his sexuality. In this simple story, he doesn’t delve into his bi-curiosity, he just accepts it. Matt wants nothing more than to be the most important thing in someone’s life, to matter, and to be cared for. He wants something real and he thinks John is the man that can give him what he wants and needs. But John is “sort of straight” and Matt’s afraid that at the end of the summer, John’s exploration of his bisexuality will come to an end and he’ll be back pursuing his ex-wife.

They take their time getting to know each other over meals and glasses of wine and Pastis, picnics on the beach, walks, and visits to shops. They learn all the little ins and outs about each other that add up to a complete person.

I enjoyed (really enjoyed) how much John relishes the all-new sensual experience of being intimate with a man: the hard strength and power of Matt’s body, his big, roughened hands, his smooth bulging muscles and crisp body hair. It allows John to unleash his own strength, and it’s hot. The copious kissing alone is toe-curling. Both men comment that they have never before experienced such passion.

Aside from the snark, you’ll see Ms. Morton’s fingerprints all over this novel. As always, she embraces her surroundings and is committed to conveying a true sense of place, given her practice of traveling to and researching her locales before embarking on her writing. When I read a “Lily book”, I always get to travel along with her characters to Cornwall, London, and in this case, the gorgeous hillside above Cannes in the South of France. Her imagery makes me long for a beach vacation. John and Matt share an appreciation of serenity and nature. Scent plays a big role in their enjoyment, through the multitude of floral scents wafting around the villa, the salty smell of the sea breeze, and the sweet, coconut smell of the sunscreen.

If you’ve read older reviews of this book from when it was first released, you might have noticed numerous reviewers lamenting the abysmal editing, something I’m highly attuned to and will cause me to DNF. I assure you, this book has been re-edited and contains no errors. It reads like Ms. Morton’s more recently released, impeccably edited books. It’s a non-issue, I promise.

This is a slow-paced, sweet weekend read for when you just want something angst-free to make you smile. There’s nothing too deep here, but the relaxed atmosphere fit my mood. The men progress from animosity to friendship to lovers, but the dislike is overcome very quickly. If you’re looking for a strong enemies-to-lovers theme – which I think the blurb suggests – you might be disappointed. I, however, was not and I adored the book as is. I think you will, too, whether you’re a regular Lily Morton reader or not.

RATING: 

BUY LINK: 

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