Summer at Flora’s House is the third installment of a heartwarming novella series featuring likable characters and a strong sense of place.
Summer at Flora’s House by Freya North
Genre/Categories/Setting: Contemporary Fiction, Women’s Fiction, Romance, Art, Isle of Harris (Outer Hebrides, Scotland)
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My Summary:
Summer at Flora’s House is the 3rd installment of seasonal and atmospheric novellas set on the Isle of Harris (Outer Hebrides, Scotland). The origins of Flora’s House are found in Little Wing by the same author. The house/cottage has been turned into a holiday rental, and each installment in the novella series introduces us to a different set of guests. In this installment, we meet Liza who is suffering burn-out and is looking forward to relaxing and painting. We also meet Jamie who has family on Harris and returns often to visit and to take photographs. Will these two artists connect?
My Thoughts:
What’s to love about novellas?
- Novellas are longer than a short story but shorter than a full novel, usually between 100-200 pages.
- I find novellas more satisfying than most short stories.
- They are perfect for weekend or vacation reads,
- They are books that you can read in one sitting.
- Novellas are an excellent way to try out an author.
What’s to love about the Flora’s House series?
- Each of the novellas in the series is loosely connected through the setting.
- Although each installment has different main characters, some supporting characters appear throughout the series.
- Gently written, delightful prose, vivid descriptive details, likeable characters, and thoughtful themes check all my boxes for enjoyable reading.
- Each installment has a strong sense of place, and now I want to visit the Isle of Harris.
- Christmas at Flora’s House features a mature woman and her journey of grief and loneliness.
- Spring at Flora’s House features two young men and the power of male friendship.
- Summer at Flora’s House features romance and the joy of artistic endeavors.
- I’m eagerly anticipating Autumn at Flora’s House to meet the main characters and discover the themes.
- I highly recommend the Flora’s House novellas for readers/bloggers/reviewers who participate in #NovellasInNovember.
Is this story a predictable romance?
Many of us can relate to Liza. She comes to Harris desperate to escape her high-pressure job, relax in a tranquil and peaceful setting, and pursue soul-satisfying activities. She NEEDS to paint, and her specialty is native flowers. Jamie is already relaxed. He comes to Harris to visit family and to take photographs. The artistic endeavors of the main characters provide opportunities for exquisite descriptions of the area.
After their awkward “meet-cute,” which gives us a clue that this is a romance, they continue to run into each other in various locations. Their interactions run the course of antagonistic strangers to cautious friends to lovers. Yes, romances are predictable, but arriving at the HEA is so fun! This is closed-door romance.
Recommending Summer at Flora’s House:
Fans of sweet romance (closed door), themes of self-discovery, connection, and hope, and a strong sense of place will enjoy Flora’s House. I’m highly recommending this gently-told novella series, which can be read in any order. Reading them seasonally would be fun!
Related: You might enjoy Little Wing by the same author.
My Rating: 4 Stars
Meet the Author of Summer at Flora’s House, Freya North
I’m the British author of 16 bestselling novels and have been published for almost 30 years! Alongside my traditionally published novels such as THE UNFINISHED BUSINESS OF EADIE BROWNE and LITTLE WING, I am also independently publishing too! These are exciting times for authors as never has there been such a fertile time to reach the reader…and my readers are so fundamentally important to me.
I’m thrilled to bring you the first of a series of novella’s set in Flora’s House – a wee white cottage on a wild, beautiful and remote part of the UK: the Outer Hebrides of Scotland.
CHRISTMAS AT FLORA’S HOUSE is the first in the series – an emotional, heartfelt story set over the festive period featuring a long-married couple and their first ever Christmas away from home. I had a little cry as I wrote it…and I hope so much you’ll enjoy it!
The Unfinished Business of Eadie Browne is very much my own intensely personal love letter to youth, to friendship and to coming-of-age in the late 80s/ 1990s… Much of it was drawn from my own memories of leaving home for Manchester Uni and how that FELT.
My 15th novel Little Wing was written during the first lockdown. Set partly in the Outer Hebrides and interweaving the secrets and lies of two families over two time frames – it was a joy to research and write and certainly kept me sane during the Pandemic. In Spring this year (2025) I wrote its ‘companion piece’ STILL TIME – it’s not a ‘sequel’ per se as I conceived and wrote the two books to be read in any order. I don’t have a pub.date yet – but I can’t wait to tell you more!
I’ve always been focussed on a sense of place being a key feature of my writing – settings being a leading character, not merely a backdrop. Previous locations have included North Norfolk, British Columbia, Derbyshire, Vermont, France, Scotland, Wales, Cornwall… I’m an avid reader too – and the novels of Barbara Trapido, Jane Gardam, Rose Tremain and Mary Wesley inspired me to write. I hope you enjoy my books – please keep in touch via my website, Facebook, Twitter and Insta! Happy Reading! Sign up for my newsletter (via my website) there’s a prize draw and exclusive news every month!
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Not picked up a book by this author in a while. I like the sound of the setting.
The setting is like a character!
lovely review, Carol. I love this series too, and think this is my favourite so far, especially the audiobook!
Thanks! I think she could keep this series going!
I do love novellas. It so satisfying to lose yourself in a book that you know won’t tie you up for days. And I am happy to hear that there are so many in the series.
She’s now one of my fav writers!
“a holiday rental, and each installment in the novella series introduces us to a different set of guests” Good premise! I like the sounds of these.
It’s a delightful series of novellas! Good writing and easy reading!