Five Star Summer by Sarah Morgan ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

Running a five-star Cornish hotel should have been Evie Hamilton’s dream job. But restoring it to its former glory is going to take a miracle. All Evie has is grit, and a hoard of unruly staff who love to speculate about her love life. She needs back-up, and fast.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

March 2026; MIRA; 978-1335013231
audio, ebook, print (368 pages); women's fiction

I've read a few of Sarah Morgan's Christmas books because I can tolerate seasonal romance novels. I'm wanting light reads but getting kind of tired of cozy mysteries, so I thought I would try her new beach read Five Star Summer.

First off, it was less of a romance novel than I was expecting. It is much more women's fiction. Evie has a new role at the hotel, which makes her the boss of people who changed her diaper. Abby, as her mother's protegee, has been living in her shadow and given the cold shoulder by co-workers, fearing she is a mole. As they navigate becoming their own individuals, they also develop a friendship that neither has experienced before. 

The book kind of starts off like a typical Hallmark movie. There is a struggling hotel in a small town. The boss is unemotional, and Abby is all about the numbers. Abby is sent to Cornwall for the summer. However, instead of trying to shut it down as you would usually see in that Hallmark movie. Instead, they want to save the hotel. 

I really liked that there are two strong female characters, yet they are not competitors. It is refreshing to see two females get along and not try to one-up each other. There is a lot of talk in the real world about women supporting women, and I'm glad to see it portrayed in literature.

The only thing that felt off about the book was the storyline with Alexandra (Abby's mother). It felt like it was forced into the plot. Presumably, to insert a source of tension into the story. But it made the story feel disjointed. Hopefully, it is smoothed out in the final copy (I read an ARC that still had errors in it). 

There is a little romance for Evie, Abby, and Alendandra but it is definitely a minor plot point. As such, there aren't any detailed steamy scenes. 

I read this while I was sick and was able to read it in about a day. If you are planning a day at the beach or poolside, this book should be in your beach bag.

Buy Five Star Summer at Amazon

Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour.

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