Escape to Everdene Sands, where the sun is shining - but is the tide about to turn?Robyn and Jake are planning their dream wedding at the family beach hut in Devon. A picnic by the turquoise waves, endless sparkling rosé and dancing barefoot on the golden sand . . .But Robyn is more unsettled than excited. She can't stop thinking about the box she was given on her eighteenth birthday, and the secrets it contains. Will opening it reveal the truth about her history - and break the hearts of the people she loves most?As the big day arrives, can everyone let go of the past and step into a bright new future?
A Wedding at the Beach Hut by Veronica Henry was published in paperback by Orion Books on 28 May 2020.
My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review for this #RandomThingsTours Blog Tour
A Wedding at the Beach Hut is Veronica Henry's twentieth novel, and I think I've read every single one of her books; she is a real favourite of mine.
For me, reading a Veronica Henry book is a way to escape the realities of the world around us, especially as we continue to live through this pandemic, with no real knowledge of how things will change for us when we finally get through. I spent a sunny weekend with this story, and it was the perfect reading experience.
A Wedding at the Beach Hut is the third of her books to be set amongst the colourful row of beach huts on the sands of the seaside town of Everdene. Whilst the setting is the same in each book, these are all standalone stories, so whilst I really would urge you to read them all, you don't have to read the other two first.
This is now my favourite of Veronica Henry's books! Her characters are wonderful, and even though lead character Robyn and her finance Jake are just thirty years old, they are not the often stereotypical young couple that you find in novels. Both Robyn and Jake are laid-back, yet hard-working, with ambitions and hopes for their future life together.
They've been together for a few years now, working together on their landscaping business and renovating an old barn that they bought from Robyn's parents. This will be their forever house, the place that they intend to bring up a family and grow old togehter.
They decide that it's time to get married. There's no bridezilla moments for Robyn, she just wants a small wedding, with only close friends and family, and ideally no frothy wedding dress, or any of the usual wedding hassles. They decide that they'll have their celebrations at Jake's family beach hut.
What could be simpler? A fuss-free wedding with no worries? However, everyone has a few skeletons in the cupboard and these two families are certainly no different. Despite, what looks on the outside, their perfections, both families have issues that need to be resolved before the big day.
Veronica Henry's greatest skill is in creating character and place. Her storylines are beautifully constructed too, but for me, it's the wonderful sense of place combined with such richly formed and interesting characters that really sells her novels to me.
There's a very special place in my heart for Gwen; a truly brilliant character who almost stole the show. She's far older than Robyn, but is probably her closest friend and greatest ally. She lives in a sea facing flat that is filled with beautiful knick knacks that tell the story of her colourful life. She embraces any issue, does her best to resolve the most difficult of issues, whilst wearing super stylish clothes and maintaining such a sense of fun and integrity. She really is the most perfect of characters.
There's a very special place in my heart for Gwen; a truly brilliant character who almost stole the show. She's far older than Robyn, but is probably her closest friend and greatest ally. She lives in a sea facing flat that is filled with beautiful knick knacks that tell the story of her colourful life. She embraces any issue, does her best to resolve the most difficult of issues, whilst wearing super stylish clothes and maintaining such a sense of fun and integrity. She really is the most perfect of characters.
A Wedding at the Beach Hut is not all fluff and cake by any means. This superb author touches on some delicate issues and does it with a deftness and empathy. The reader experiences the joys and the sorrows, is witness to the trepidation felt by the characters and sometimes the hurt that they feel too.
This is another heartwarming and charming read from this very talented author. My favourite of her books so far, and I've loved every single one of them.
Veronica Henry is the Sunday Times bestselling author of twenty novels.
She was a scriptwriter for some of our best-loved dramas such as The Archers, Heartbeat and Holby City before she turned to fiction.
She lives in North Devon with three sons who come and go with the tide, and she flips between walking on the beach, swimming the sea and mixing killer Negronis.
Find out more at veronicahenry.co.uk or follow her on social Media
Find out more at veronicahenry.co.uk or follow her on social Media
Twitter @veronica_henry
Facebook @veronicahenryauthor
Instagram @veronicahenryauthor
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