Summerlands – review (AD)
I was very kindly sent a paperback copy of Summerlands by Lucinda Lamont from the author herself, complete with a lovely handwritten message inside.
I took this book away with me on holiday, so it had the added bonus of being read in the sunshine.
Summerlands book blurb
When the magic calls, will she rise or fall?
When Cara loses her beloved grandmother, her world begins to unravel.
She feels disconnected, as though she no longer belongs in the life she used to know.
Everything changes when she stumbles upon a secluded cottage deep in the woods and meets the enigmatic Gwen.
Gwen claims she was expecting Cara, and that she once shared a powerful bond with her grandmother.
As Cara begins to uncover the truth about her grandmother’s secret life, she’s drawn into the mystical realm of Summerlands.
After meeting Leo – thoughtful, intuitive, and carrying secrets of his own – he becomes her safe haven.
But the more she steps into the hidden world of magic she’s discovered, the more she’s torn between light and shadow.
Will she embrace her true power and protect the legacy her grandmother left behind, or will she be seduced by a darker path?
Lucinda Lamont’s SUMMERLANDS is a spellbinding coming-of-age fantasy tale of first love and hidden power.
My overall thoughts on Summerlands
Magical books aren’t usually my go-to genre, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from Summerlands.
But this pleasantly surprised me. I found myself quickly drawn into Cara’s story and invested in discovering where her journey would take her.
What makes this a witchy story with a difference, for me, is that Cara starts out as an ordinary woman who is navigating grief and trying to find her way after a huge change in her life.
As the story progresses, she blossoms and begins to discover who she really is.
I really enjoyed watching that transformation unfold.
The descriptions throughout the book are beautiful.
The views in particular were so vivid and graphic that I could picture them all in my head.
I could almost see the landscape around Cara as I was reading, which made it very easy to get lost in the world Lucinda has created.
There are also some lovely explorations of feelings and emotions throughout the story.
The joy, sadness and different experiences of life all come through really well, giving the magical elements an emotional depth.
And I have to say, I liked all of the characters – even the dodgy ones!
They all brought something to the story and added depth to the world Cara was becoming part of.
Sometimes it’s the characters you’re not quite sure you can trust who make a story that little bit more interesting.
I particularly loved seeing the community coven of witches grow and develop, and watching them accept Cara as she begins to understand her true self.
There’s something really lovely about the sense of community and belonging that develops throughout the story.
There’s romance and friendship woven in too, which adds another layer to Cara’s journey without taking away from the central story of her discovering who she really is.
For someone who doesn’t usually pick up magical or witchy books, Summerlands was a really lovely surprise.
It’s atmospheric, emotional and full of characters that I found myself genuinely invested in.
It wasn’t quite a five-star read for me, but I really enjoyed it and I’m glad I stepped outside my usual genre.
Four stars from me. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
A big thank you to Lucinda for sending me a copy – and especially for the handwritten message inside.
It made this holiday read feel even more special.
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*Disclaimer
This review has been written with 100% honesty.
I was not financially compensated for this post. I was given an advance copy of this book for review purposes. The opinions expressed in this post are completely my own based on my own experience.
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