BOOK REVIEW: A Rose Petal Summer by Katie Fforde

'She'd recognised him the moment he'd entered the room, but he didn't appear to remember her. Of course it had been nearly pitch dark when they had met, and so long ago. He laughed and Caro's heart gave a lurch...'
He was the one who got away, the young man with whom Caro spent one magical evening in Greece, and whom she's never forgotten.
Now years later, they've met once more in a beautiful old house in Scotland. Soon Caro is falling in love, all over again.
But will the one summer he falls for her?

Publisher: Century Books

Pages: 387

Published on February 21st

Katie FForde's books are always a delight and A Rose Petal Summer is bound to be a hit. Caro and Alec met as teenagers one night on a Greek island and she has never forgotten him. In the present day, Caro takes on the job of companion to an elderly man in the Scottish Highlands and she recognises his son Alec the moment he walks into the room. He is effectively her new employer but he doesn't show any signs of recognising her. Does she still have feelings for him and how will he react once he remembers their previous encounter?
I really took to Caro, she seems like a genuinely good person but she can look after herself too. She normally lives on a houseboat in London so Scotland is a real change for her but she quickly falls in love with the beautiful surroundings. It is so strange for her to see Alec again, he is divorced with a beautiful daughter called Rowan who Caro takes under her wing. He is back in Scotland to run the family estate but he harbours a desire for a different kind of occupation. Caro can see glimpses of the young man she met all those years ago and the attraction is still there. When Alec divulges his aspirations to her she falls in love with him more and is determined to help. Add into this story, wayward teenagers, a Hollywood power couple, a romantic mystery to solve plus a wedding to plan and you have a very entertaining story indeed.
I loved the locations in this book, Katie Fforde moves from the Scottis
h estate to Caro's quirky boat in London, to a beautiful chateau in France. They all have their own delightful charm and make it so easy to get caught up in the story.
A Rose Petal Summer is a romantic read about two people finding each other again. A lot has happened to Caro and Alec over the years so it is interesting to see if that spark between them is still there. This is great book to lose yourself in for a few hours, I can highly recommend it.

Many thanks to Alice at Penguin for sending me a copy of the book to review, A Rose Petal Summer is published on 21st February.