[1] The story takes place in the fictitious town of Rathmoye in Ireland during the 1950s.

It concerns the illicit love between a photographer and the young married wife of a farmer.

Ellie and her farmer husband Dillahan live a quiet life near the town of Rathmoye.

On The Omnivore, based on British press reviews, the book received an "omniscore" of 4.5 out of 5.

[3] In Bookmarks November/December 2009 issue, a magazine that aggregates critic reviews of books, the book received a (4.5 out of 5) based on critic reviews with the critical summary saying, "Trevor is a master storyteller, and Love and Summer exhibits all the hallmarks of his most luminous works: his stark and graceful prose; his profound insight into the human heart; and his hauntingly authentic characters, precisely sketched in just a few short lines".