This was such a lovely book to read. The setting was perfect! As an adult who never got to experience summer camp, this was a dream come true for me (parent trap mentions and all). It was moving, heartfelt, and an overall relatable story to read. The characters were flawed & complex, but human and entertaining. The idea that Garland lived her life because of what she saw as typical, not rocking the boat, and what sounded good on paper is probably a highly common thing for my generation. It could applied to more than just romantic relationships. We go college because that's what we are supposed to do. We settle down, get a "meaningful, successful" job and if that doesn't happen, then we aren't successful adults. Starting over can be hard, but doing it authentically for ourselves and not others is the best gift.

Title: That Summer Feeling (publishing date 5.30.23)
Author: Bridget Morrissey
Summary: Garland Moore used to believe in magic, the power of optimism, and signs from the universe. Then her husband surprised her with divorce papers over Valentine's Day dinner. Now Garland isn't sure what to believe anymore, except that she's clearly never meant to love again. When new friends invite her to spend a week at their reopened sleepaway camp, she and her sister decide it's an opportunity to enjoy the kind of summer getaway they never had as kids. If Garland still believed in signs, this would sure seem like one. Summer camp is a chance to let go of her past and start fresh.
Nestled into the picturesque Blue Ridge Mountains, Camp Carl Cove provides the exact escape Garland always dreamed of, until she runs into Mason--the man she had a premonition about after one brief meeting years ago. No matter how she tries to run, the universe appears determined to bring love back into Garland's life. She even ends up rooming with Mason's sister Stevie, a vibrant former park ranger who is as charming as she is competitive. The more time Garland spends with Stevie, the more the signs confuse her. The stars are aligning in a way Garland never could have predicted.
Amid camp tournaments and moonlit dances, Garland continues to be pulled toward the beautiful blonde outdoorswoman who makes her laugh and swoon. Summer camp doesn't last forever, but if Garland can learn to trust her heart, the love she finds there just might.
What I loved about this book: Adult summer camp; bi-representation, characters who follow their hearts, fast read.
Opportunity for improvement: I have no negative remarks; I loved the book!
ARC provided by @netgalley in exchange for an honest review. @berkleypub #queerbookstagram #lgbt #wlw #lgbtqia #loveislove #queerrepresentationmatters #lgbtqbooks #bookstagram #queerbooks #books #booklover #booksofinstagram #bookish #booksbooksbooks #bookworm #booknerd #lgbtqreads #pride #queerreads #summercampromance #romance #lesbianromance #wlwromance

I can’t begin to shout about this book enough, I love thy how almost everyone I had this book recommended loved it too! And, I am hoping on more people to pick up Bridget’s backlist while they’re at it. It was perfect time to read this sapphic romance, during Pride Month! The sapphic representation was swoon-worthy, and the romance emotional and engaging!!

“The perfect summer rom-com doesn’t exi-“

That Summer Feeling has entered the chat.

I love love loved every minute of this! Garland is recently divorced and isn’t looking for love ever again. But when she meets the man she had a premonition about 3 years ago at the adult summer camp her and her sister signed up for, she thinks the universe might be giving her a second chance. The only problem is, she doesn’t really like this guy romantically, but she definitely has feelings for his human sunshine of a sister. As things heat up between them, Garland has to decide if she’s willing to risk another heartbreak for a second chance at true love.

Garland was so funny without even trying and her and Stevie had amazing chemistry. I laughed so much reading this! It was just such a good time, but also heartfelt and warm. And it definitely made me want to go to an adult summer camp. Perfection!

This review also gave me the excuse to make s’mores dip, so win-win.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for this arc it was lovely!

This may be one of the cutest books I read this year. I loved how it was second chance romance but with the sister (DUN DUN DUN!!!) Because in my real life sapphic dreams it was always with my male friends' sisters! I just never knew how to talk to them. At least our MC figured it out here!

After a surprise divorce, 32 year old Garland is starting over by attending an adults-only summer camp with her sister. But she's startled to see the man of her dreams also in attendance--literally. When she was on her way to her honeymoon years earlier, she had run into Mason in the airport and when he handled her a bracelet she had dropped, a memory of them together, surrounded by his family, unbelievably happy, flashed through her head. But Garland is more interested in her cabinmate and new friend, Mason's sister, Stevie. She and Stevie grow closer as camp progresses and Garland begins to wonder whether she misunderstood the vision, and it wasn't Mason she was having her HEA with...

This book was lovely. A perfect summer read. I love the idea of a summer camp for adults (though I may be more like Garland's eldest sister and prefer the tropics if I have a week off), and it works as an amazing setting for a romance novel. Seeing Garland discover her sexuality (past thirty, especially) without fear or shame was wonderful to watch, and her and Stevie are #couplegoals. I wish we had gotten a tad more info on Garland's sister (it was unclear to me whether she was coming out as asexual or simply trying to tell Garland there were more important things than romance), but I absolutely adored this book overall. Not to mention the stunning cover art!

Thanks to Berkley for my eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 stars - 10/10

This is a sapphic summer romance great for readers that love a very quick strangers-to-friends-to-lovers storyline.
Down on her luck divorcee, Garland is convinced that she's destined for unhappiness. When she takes a chance at fun and attends a summer camp for grown-ups she thinks she finds the man of her dreams with her roommate Stevie's brother. But as camp continues, Garland finds herself more interested in Stevie and exploring the new feelings that are developing for her bunkmate. With a main character exploring her identity and coming into her own this is a quick summer romance perfect for reading by the lake in the sun.

3.2 ⭐️

This book was a sweet and quick read about the magic of summer camp and found family. This book made nostalgic of my summer camp days. I didn’t find myself truly believing in the romance at times, but the fun characters and setting made up for it. A fun summer read for sure!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

🕮 Insta-Love Sapphic Romance
🕮 Adult Summer Camp
🕮 Low Angst

Pros: This is a sweet romance that feels like a hug in book form. There is relatively no angst and the love story between Garland and Stevie is kind and thoughtful. This is an insta-love story so some may find the story hard to believe but so much of the book is devoted to conversions and moments between Stevie and Garland that it’s easy to see why they fall in love. The idea of an adult summer camp is cute and was a great setting for a romance story.

Cons: Because the story takes place over 6 days, it was hard to believe that Garland would make so many monumental discoveries about herself in that short amount of time. Not just the love story, but her realizations about her marriage, her sister, and her sexuality seemed very quick. I also would have liked to see more interactions between Garland and the other campers. There is a plotline involving Garland’s sister Dara that doesn’t come to a resolution so I hope that means her story will be the next book-otherwise I don’t see the point in introducing it.

I can't really slam the insta-love in this one because I actually knew my husband for a short time before I married him.
I'm going with this book is just okay. I don't think I'll remember it for a week.

Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review.

A breezy summer camp getaway. Garland is newly divorced and a little driftless when her sister Dara convinces her to join her at a week of summer camp for adults. Soon they’re caught up in color games, sunrise lake swims, and summer camp romance. Everyone has their reasons for needing this return to childhood, and Garland starts to realize some big things about herself. Including why she’s drawn to her roommate, the kind, competitive, adorable Stevie, rather than Stevie’s pack of strapping brothers.

I could’ve used more of Garland and Dara actually delving into their shared childhood trauma, but that would’ve been a different kind of book. Hopefully everyone is getting therapy off page. And you’ll need to be okay with instalove, given that camp is only a week long.

If you’re someone who loved camp as a kid, or watched The Parent Trap and longed to be there, you’ll enjoy That Summer Feeling.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing group for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you’re looking for a fun, sapphic romance to add to your summer reading list then look no further than That Summer Feeling by Bridget Morrissey. It’s got an adult queer awakening, sapphic insta-love, found family, and so much more. It’s a perfect read for your next summer vacation!

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Summer camp is an experience like no other. One Garland Moore and her sister, Dara, never got to experience as kids. So when a couple of Garland’s rideshare passengers tell her about Camp Carl Cove, their newly reopened summer camp, the Moore sisters jump at the chance to experience camp life. Garland hopes it will be a nice distraction from the painful divorce she’s recently gone through.

Garland arrives at camp with an open mind, hoping to take more risks and rediscover who she is only to be blind-sided by the appearance of a mystery man she once encountered for a brief moment in an airport. As a long time believer in signs from the universe, Garland sees this as an opportunity to get to know her “soulmate” only to be blind-sided by the feelings she develops for his sister instead.

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This book was so much fun! It was like a nice, warm hug underneath the summer stars with fireflies twinkling all around. The summer camp vibes were incredible and it made me want to find an adult summer camp just so I can shout Hee-Haw as I do the Hoedown Throwdown.

Garland’s character development is one of my favorite arcs I’ve read this year. She goes to camp in order to push herself to try new things and take more risks, and she doesn’t hold back. During her marriage, she made herself smaller to fit the expectations of her husband and of the people around her, yet at camp she becomes herself and makes choices for herself.

I found much of Garland’s journey to be extremely relatable. She’s a people pleaser. She’s so scared of making the wrong decision that she doesn’t make one at all. She hides herself and her own desires just to make other people more comfortable. I lost count of the amount of times I was frustrated (in a good way) with her and shouted “Girl! What are you doing!?”

But that was the beauty of her journey. She was at camp to break free of those bad habits and become her more authentic self. And it just so happens that becoming her more authentic self involves her queer awakening.

Garland and Stevie are nearly inseparable from the moment they meet. Garland can’t stop thinking about Stevie and finds herself missing her when she’s not around. For those of us on the outside, it’s obvious she’s fallen and fallen hard but for Stevie, but Garland’s still convinced it’s Stevie’s brother, Mason, who is the one she’s supposed to fall for despite having no feeling whatsoever toward him.

Personally, I am more of a slow-burn romance fan and even though there were a few moments that made me cringe, the way this insta-romance was set up did not disappoint. Stevie and Garland got to know each other organically, and talked about real things which created a real, adult relationship between them. You could tell it wasn’t going to be just a summer fling but a lasting relationship.

That Summer Feeling may be a fun summer romance, but it’s also so much more than that. It’s a testament to the importance of staying true to yourself and living your life on your own terms instead of living according to other people’s expectations.

I fell in love with Morrissey’s writing when A Thousand Miles came out last year. That Summer Feeling is equally wonderful, this time focusing on a sapphic romance between Stevie and Garland. Narrated by the incredibly talented who brings so much depth, humor and love to their story.

While That Summer Feeling focuses on Stevie and Garland, all different types of relationships are explored here. Friendships. Siblings. New love. Old love. Rekindled love. And most importantly: self love.

Marge was a big time MVP for me. Her part in the paint balloon battle had me completely cracking up. And for fans of A Thousand Miles, listen/read carefully to her connection to Dee!

To my mood readers who want a book that feels like pure summertime nostalgia- you need to grab That Summer Feeling! HEEHAW!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for an eARC!

Bridget Morrissey has been a must-read for me since Love Scenes and this book was no different.

Garland Moore is hot on the heels of a divorce she didn't want and heading off to an adult summer camp with her sister Dara when she stumbles into her new roommate, Stevie. Their initial connection is undeniable (and while I don't normally buy into an insta-love scenario, this book is so soft I didn't mind it), but things are complicated when Garland realizes Stevie's brother is a man who made a brief cameo in her own past...but caused her to rethink everything.

This book delivered on its title and the summer vibes were immaculate. Ever since seeing the Parent Trap (which gives the book one of its sweetest moments between Garland and Dara, who had a less than idyllic childhood) I've wanted a summer camp experience of my own. I loved seeing how Garland's wit and overall magic won over the other campers and the way the found family just wraps you in the biggest hug.

The angst level is low so there are spots where it feels like a little bit of plot is missing, but overall reading the book felt like coasting down a hill in you're bike -- easy and delightful. Garland's overall journey had a strong thread throughout and I think that was the most important.

This was the perfect vacation read on the beach. That Summer Feeling by Bridget Morrissey is so sweet! This was a sweet romance/rom-com with wonderful characters.
When Garland and her sister go to adult summer camp, they could never imagine how the week would change them. Garland's placed in a cabin with Stevie and she quite literally knocks her off her feet. The book only gets better from there.
I loved the concept of an adult summer camp and all of the shenanigans that ensued.
There's one mildly steamy scene that I would categorize more as a fade to black/sweet intimate scene but I do think it fits with the style and pace of the story.

If you're looking for a sweet, soft, easy sapphic romance read, this is a great fit!

⭐⭐⭐/5

• light, summery romance
• insta love
• fun summer camp setting

I enjoyed the concept of this book but it just fell short for me. While I enjoyed their relationship, the main characters acted a little too childish and it was all too rushed for me. There were some LOL moments and if you're looking for a light, summery romance then check it out.

🗣️ Thank you to @netgalley and @berkleypub for the opportunity to read and review this book via gifted eARC! All opinions are honest and my own.

I love how this use rotten dyslexic friendly. I hated how down the MC was in herself because of her dyslexia. Sweet story, enjoyable read.

somewhere like a 3.5 like okay, sure, it was a very cute read. however, i am personally a big fan of "slow-burn, angsty, mutual pining" type stories and this was the exact opposite of that. these girls knew each other for literally a week (the whole story takes place over the course of one week at summer camp). by day 3, they were dating, by day 5 (of KNOWING EACH OTHER, not just dating), they were confessing love. on day 6, they basically moved in together..... they made a few uhaul jokes throughout the story, but god, they really uhauled.

It has become very apparent that I am in a reading mood for contemporary queer titles set at Summer Camp and honestly to go from a YA slasher summer camp to adult week at summer camp was quite the pivot but lord it was so much fun. This is my first book from Bridget Morrissey and my god she writes with a lot of heart. This was both atmospheric (to the point where I will be day dreaming about adult summer camp...?) and emotional. The way both characters connected not only with each other but their siblings was such a joy to read because we find so many dysfunctional families within the romance genre. I don't mind that trope but the amount of love and support all the siblings had for each other in this book was phenomenal. I'd read about both the families any day (hint, hint, for more books from Bridget Morrissey please!). This was a perfect and easy summer read and I'm really glad I picked it up.

The tagline for this book was also so spot on "When a divorced woman attends a sleepaway camp for adults, she reconnects with a man from her past—only to fall head over heels for his sister instead."

Reading this book was hundreds of pages of pure fun, but I think that’s actually a problem; I feel like there was really no conflict in this book, either internal or external. Garland comes to terms with her sexuality fairly quickly, and her relationship with Stevie encounters few bumps. It left me wanting more—where was the growth? Nevertheless, it was extremely fun to read this book; what’s not to love about a ton of queer adults at summer camp? I want this camp to be real so I can go to it.