REVIEW: Sweet Pea Summer by Alys Murray

Sweet Pea Summer by Alys Murray is the second book in the Full Bloom Farm series. Not having read the previous book, I will say this can be read as a standalone. I didn’t feel like I was missing too much by not having read it, so readers new to the series can jump in here. I will also mention that this book was previously published in 2020 by another publisher. As I have not read that version, I don’t know what, if any, changes were made to this one.

Eight years prior, May Anderson was set to leave the small town of Hillsboro and go on a grand adventure with her boyfriend, Tom Riley. But when they were to leave, May got scared and refused to go, leaving Tom to leave town with a broken heart.

Tom always had a bad reputation in town, due to accidentally breaking the mayor’s window when he was seven years old. It only got worse when he left town without May, as they blamed him for the breakup and May didn’t bother to correct them. Now he’s back in town to help his grandmother with her struggling winery, which people want nothing to do with because of Tom’s involvement with it. When the town needs volunteers to plan the prestigious North West Food and Wine Festival, May and Tom find themselves stepping up and having to work together. Will May be able to finally put her fears to rest and find happiness with the only man she’s ever loved?

What really brought this book down for me was May. Honestly, she was a coward, letting Tom take the blame for something he didn’t do, and letting him face the wrath of the town simply because she didn’t want to. In her mind, she didn’t want it to happen to her, but it was ok for it to happen to the person she supposedly loves. Her reasons for doing what she did were repeated ad nauseam, and hearing it over and over again so many times quickly became annoying. Repeating it as much as it was wasn’t necessary, because no matter how many times it was repeated, it never made May shine in a better light.

Tom was a better character than May. Readers will feel bad for him because of what he went through due to the townspeople, both in the past and in the present. I honestly didn’t know why he even wanted to explore giving May a second chance, because her continuous behavior didn’t warrant one.

The townspeople in this book also didn’t win any points. A seven-year-old boy did something accidentally and a large portion of the town holds it against him even as an adult? Kids have accidents, and I find it hard to believe they were all perfect at seven years old. The behavior of the townspeople was petty and ridiculous. Tom came back to help out his grandmother, but he probably would have better off if he just stayed away.

I do feel that if May had been a more likeable character, I would have enjoyed this book more than I did. As it was, I couldn’t bring myself to care if she found her happily ever after or not. I was, however, rooting for Tom to find his, because he was one of the few likeable characters in this book.

Book Info:

Publication: February 14, 2023 | Forever | Full Bloom Farm #2

Eight years ago, May Anderson made the biggest mistake of her life and watched her high school sweetheart Tom Riley leave Hillsboro, California—and her—in his rearview mirror. Now, after traveling the world, he’s come back home.

While Tom and May would much rather avoid each other and any painful reminders of their past, their plans are ruined when they’re the only ones able to step in as organizers of the prestigious Northwest Food and Wine Festival.

May wants only to forget and move on, but how can she when the boy she used to love is now an even more irresistible man? And it doesn’t matter how badly May once broke his heart—Tom can’t tear his gaze away from her sweet smile. With old feelings clearly surfacing, can they find the courage to face the fears that once kept them apart?