Midsummer Magic by Julia Williams

On a balmy summer evening, anything can happen...

Recently engaged Josie is visiting her parents in Cornwall with best friend Diane, fiancée Harry and his pal Ant. Josie can’t wait to start wedding planning, if only Harry was more interested, and Diane and Ant weren’t at war with each other.

As the four make amends over a drink in the local pub, they meet Freddie Puck, a well known TV hypnotist and find themselves agreeing to a dare – to stay out all night on the hills by the standing stones.

Local mythology says a young married couple will find true happiness if they can last a whole night there on Midsummer’s Eve. But as night time falls, not everyone seems to have remembered the boundaries of love

I was instantly attracted to this book by its cover. What a lovely combination of colours- it really makes it stand out.

This was a lovely, heartwarming read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Based on Shakespeare's a Midsummer Night's dream, this was an entertaining, funny read with lots of plot twists and turns.

From the start I knew something was going to happen when Josie and Diana did a pagan Halloween tradition to determine the beginning letter of the person they were going to marry. Diana got H and Josie got A even though the person Josie was soon to be engaged to was Harry.

When Harry proposes to Josie, they all head down to Cornwall to make wedding plans, which Harry starts to find overwhelming and much to Diana's horror, Harry's best friend Ant who joins them is the man that broke her heart years before. Could the weekend possibly get any worse?

After a chance meeting with a former TV star, Freddie Puck, the four agree to be hypnotised for a TV show. What then occurs is a tragic, confusing and hilarious ordeal for the four of them as their 'true' feelings come to light and they may not be in love with the person they thought they were, but is it real or is it the hypnosis?

There were also some side chapters based on Tatiana and Bron, from the 1980's to the present day which really added to the story. Their story goes through the different parts in their relationship and their love and hate for each other. They also play a part in the four main character's hypnosis tirade.

Each character was extremely likeable, despite at first not liking Ant, who I thought was an idiot, but as the plot twists and turns, the reader finds out why a character is the way they are, as their innermost thoughts come out in the open. I found myself really wanting things to work out for each of the characters and I was constantly surprised by what was happening to them.

I also loved the way the story was written. I really felt like I was in Cornwall with these characters, Julia described the surroundings so well. I used to go to Cornwall when I was little and I want to go back again now!

This really was a lovely read that left me feeling very happy. It will definitely keep your interest throughout. I look forward to reading more from Julia Williams.

Midsummer Magic is out now in paperback and as an ebook.

8/10