I have to start by saying that I don’t often review novellas, but The Summer I Met You by Victoria Walters was one that really caught my eye as a lot of people had been talking about it. It just so happens that this particular novella is a prequel to Victoria’s full debut novel - The Second Love of My Life which I spent a long time eagerly anticipating. For such a short story, there was a massive amount to love about it and it has to be said that overall I found it to be truly delightful.
In this novella we meet Emma who packs her bags, jumps in her car and drives down to Devon for a summer with her cousins, Lucy and Amy, to have fun together and celebrate Amy’s birthday. For Emma who it’s safe to say has previously had her heart broken she’s not expecting to find love, but it’s not long before she finds herself wading into the ocean to save someone’s life with a man called John by her side. From the second they meet it’s clear that love is in the air but with Emma planning to return to Cornwall after her holiday and John planning to move to London, it seems like their relationship will be nothing more than a summer fling. However, does anyone know what the future really holds?
Where novellas are concerned I’m always worried that there’s not going to be enough in them and that I’m going to be left feeling deflated and empty at the end. I have to be completely honest and say that this was not the case with The Summer I Met You, with the story feeling as complete as a full-length novel. In addition to meeting Emma and John, Victoria also manages to introduce us to several other characters, including Emma’s best friend, Rose, who is the main focus of the full-length book. I also felt like I was getting the full picture throughout, finding out so much about Emma’s past and present and even a tiny glimpse as to what the future might hold for her.
For such a short story, I was surprised by how much I was able to become involved in the story and I really began to feel connected to not just the characters in the story but the place in which it was set too - it sounded so beautiful. I also felt that it contained the perfect mix of laugh-out-loud funny and those all important aww-inducing moments that every good love story needs.
This novella gave me a perfect introduction to Victoria’s writing style which was an absolute treat to read and I fell head over heels in love with. I’m really glad I took a chance with this novella and didn’t just rush straight into the full-length debut novel as I really would have missed out on something wonderful. I finished The Summer I Met You and was left feeling extremely excited to pick up The Second Love of My Life, my review for which will be published on this blog very soon so watch this space!
