This was a really cute book with a really fun premise! Having a group of adults going to a summer camp for a week to relive their youth was just as great to read about as it sounds. This book had all the summer camp vibes from color war games to sneaking around at night to sexual awakenings!

In this book we meet Garland who decides to go to go to a summer camp with her sister for a week after a recent divorce. Garland is ready for a fun week at camp with thoughts of romance far from her mind until she run into Mason - the man she had a premonition about after a brief meeting year ago. She even ends up rooming with Mason's vibrant sister Stevie. 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.

I loved a lot of aspects in this book like the found family, sisterhood, and discovering your sexuality in a later age. I think the sexuality journey was done well and I resonated a lot with Garland's thoughts and insecurities. Even though I've gone through the same sort of journey as Garland I did find it hard connecting with her character. She did come off immature at times so maybe that had something to do with it. The romance was also just ok for me. It was insta-lovey which I don't mind necessarily but I just didn't feel their connection.

Overall this book was enjoyable and a great one to add to your summer TBR. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The chemistry between the leads was off the charts and the concept of a summer camp experience for adults was very very fun—I'd go! There was a lot of "meant to be" magic I can't usually get behind (I generally like romances to be more "people choosing to be there for each other", less "ordained by fate" or whatever), but I went with it. A fun, escapist romance.

Oh this book was so much fun. Since I, too, am an adult who has never gone to a sleepaway summer camp I loved the idea of reclaiming that lost childhood rite and having an adults summer camp. I was always very jealous of other kids who were able to experience that and now I am jealous of these fictional adults who were able to experience it. The camp atmosphere was lush, fun, competitive, and felt like pure summer. The romance was definitely insta-lovey but since the market is not over saturated with sapphic love stories/instalove stories I was more than ok with it. I also really loved the chemistry between Garland and Stevie--it felt authentic and healthy. I loved Garlands self discovery journey and her instant acceptance of her queerness. Such a great summer read.

As a sleepaway camp veteran myself, I was incredibly excited for That Summer Feeling, with the premise being a Sapphic romance at an adult sleepaway camp. However, the relationship between Garland and Stevie was a bit too "insta-love" for me and I had a hard time feeling enmeshed in their relationship. I did enjoy the character growth we saw in Garland as she strived to move on from her divorce and find herself.

Thank you to Berkley for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

This book was the dreamiest, sapphic summer camp romcom I've ever read.

There's something so magical about summer camp stories, and one for adults? SAY LESS.

Bridget is such a talented writer. She has an innate ability to make the reader feel as though they're living these stories right alongside her characters, and I absolutely loooooved being immersed in this one.

Even though I'm not a divorcee and have never been to an adult sleep away camp, Garland is sooo relatable in that she's struggling to find herself as an adult when she thought she'd already lived through the whole mid-20s existential crisis nonsense.

All said, FIVE EASY STARS for Bridget's third adult romance, and I can't wait to see what she does next!

What a cute read! I loved the rep in this story, and even thought it was Insta Love it still somehow worked! Given the summer camp background of this story, I knew I'd be obsessed! Overall so cute!

ADULT SUMMER CAMP! Okay, I admit I never went as a kid, but this made adult camp look like so much fun!!

While this definitely is a queer romance, it is so much more! I loved all of the characters. All of them! You are pulled in and you feel like you are at camp.

I loved the bracelet and the vision, and I did figure out the twist on the vision but still loved it.

Garland and Stevie - I adored them both. And I loved that they both had strong sibling connections.

I would totally love to read Dara's story or one of Stevie's brothers.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Berkley Pub and Let's Talk Book Promo for my gifted ARC and for allowing me to take part in this Berkley Buddy Read!

Garland used to believe in magic and the power of optimism until her husband surprised her with divorce papers on Valentine’s Day. Convinced that love is fake, Garland decides to take a breather and goes to spend a week at her new friends’ reopened sleepaway camp. She takes her sister with her to enjoy the kind of summer getaway the two never had as kids. Ready to let go of her past once and for all, Garland doesn’t expect to run into a man of her past—and to fall for his sister in the process.

Summer camp, but make it adult and sapphic? Count me in! Whilst I’ve never been to a summer camp, That Summer Feeling definitely creates a beautiful sense of nostalgia for those summer days where you were wild and free and didn’t have a care in the world. You can definitely see many people reading this in the summertime or as a little pick-me-up during the colder months of the year.

This book is a fun, quick read. I really enjoyed that we got to see so many camp activities like colour war or eating at the mess hall to seeing how fast friendships can be made at such a setting. There is also a tad of magical realism incorporated into the story as Garland is led to certain things thanks to a vision. We also get a focus on overcoming your fears and insecurities and what it means to be aware of your own self-growth.

One thing that didn’t quite work for me with this story was the pacing. It somehow felt like the slowest of slow burns yet also had insta love and only took place over the span of a few days, not to mention that Garland was still grieving her marriage and then—like a switch had flipped—that suddenly wasn’t an issue anymore, which did make me question the romance arc. Nevertheless, I did enjoy Garland and Stevie as separate characters and think that this book will surely appeal to anyone who’s ever been to summer camp or has always dreamed of attending one.

If you’re looking for a lighthearted, sapphic romance with an adult summer camp setting and a touch of the found family trope, then That Summer Feeling will make you long for summer!

I received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

My first takeaway after I finished the story was "where can I sign up for summer camp for adults?"

This was a fun story, and it centers around Garland who is divorced, a part-time Uber Driver, and feels like she is destined for unhappiness. She is talked into going to a summer camp for grown-ups by her two riders and she takes her sister with her. She has little expectations except she is happy to spend the time with her sister.

Garland recognizes one of the campers who happens to be the brother of her roommate. She believes she had a vision that she and the brother are destined to be together. She shares her vision with her roommate, Stevie, who tells her brother to be kind to Garland. But as the week of fun begins to unfold, Garland does not have that feeling of connection with Stevie's brother and is confused why she has feelings for Stevie. Garland is also learning about herself and discovers she deserves more in her life.

This story had great characters and a lot of clever banter. Garlands "awakening" was sweet, and you found yourself cheering her on and wanting her to recognize her value. The ending was fun and managed to have a good follow-up with the characters.

Sleepaway camp for adults? Count me in. Add in a divorcee coming to terms with her new life, her family, and her first ever feelings for a woman? Sheer perfection. We really get to watch Garland grow through her week at camp (yes, just a WEEK!!). Between chasing after a man she had a premonition about but falling for her sister, getting up close and personal with her fears during the camp's color war, and discovering who she really wants to be post-marriage, Garland has a VERY busy summer. There's a little puff of steam, but not too much for those on the sweeter side of romance readers.

I don't care that it's insta-love or that there aren't many areas of conflict - Garland and Stevie were made for each other. It is soft, cozy, and makes me want a butler to do a secret handshake with. It's a celebration of queerness, love, and summer camp. What else could you ask for?

*Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for an ARC and PRH Audio for an ALC in exchange for my honest review*

Garland has loved and lost and can't seem to dig herself out of the hole she fell into when her marriage ended. Her sister convinces her to go back to their childhood camp so they can enjoy of summer of fun. Maybe getting away will help Garland heal and maybe even meet someone. When she spots Mason Garland knows he's her type and maybe, just maybe he could distract her for the summer. His sister Stevie happens to be her roommate and thinks she can push Mason to take notice of her new friend. Garland feels so lucky to befriend Stevie because she is dynamic, impulsive, charismatic, and something about Stevie has pulled Garland to her.
It's only a few days into camp when Garland realizes that she doesn't have feelings for Mason, she has feelings for Stevie. For the first time Garland experiences what's it's like to truly be in love with someone and have it reciprocated. Both Stevie and her family welcome Garland with open arms and make her feel at home. Where will she live? Where will she work? What will she do in her life? Garland doesn't have the answers to these questions but she knows what ever she decides she wants Stevie right by her side.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
That Summer Feeling is a lighthearted coming-of-age summer-camp romance for adults, and while the book didn’t really work for me for other reasons, I love the concept overall. You don’t stop learning and growing because you reach “a certain age,” and even older people sometimes don’t have it all figured out (don’t I know it). And while I’ve never been married or divorced, I did like that it was the springboard for Garland to begin her path of self-discovery. And her character arc is perhaps the best part of the book. I liked seeing her try something new at camp, while also being confronted both by aspects of her past and a related possibility of new love for the future.
While there’s nothing wrong with Stevie as a love interest, I found her pretty underdeveloped by comparison. And while I don’t mind the insta-love (the timeline kinda necessitates it for it to be a romance with the obligatory “happy ending”), I’d have liked there to be some substance to explain their connection. Even if you’re only together for a week, there are ways Stevie could have been fleshed out to show her potential as a long-term love interest, as opposed to someone who happens to be attractive.
While this book didn’t entirely work for me, I do appreciate it for what it is, and would recommend it to anyone looking for something fun to read to kick off the summer, especially if you enjoy sapphic romance with older (30s) protagonists.

3.5/5

This was a really sweet and tender romance with characters I really enjoyed and setting that really can’t be beat for summer reading. As much as it’s a romance at its core it’s also about Garland discovering things about her sexuality and dealing with the things that happen after her awakening. I thought her personal journey was really well done and I wanted a HEA for her so bad but I can’t get behind insta love and it was super fast here. That trope just isn’t for me, but if you don’t mind that aspect this was a really soft and cute sapphic romance.

Thank you to Berkley Romance and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy and to PRH Audio for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.

As a child, Garland and her sister never got to experience summer camp. So after a chance encounter with twins who just bought and started an adult summer camp, Garland and Dara decide to take a week to visit what they had missed as kids. For Garland, it's another step forward after her recent divorce.

I really enjoyed the camp itself. It had all of the fun activities and traditions that a camp should, with color team competitions, rope and obstacle courses, and water sports. But more than that, it became a place where people could go to be free and queer and loved. And we need more of those spaces, in reality and in books.

I so greatly appreciated the love story with Stevie, the interactions with Stevie's family, and especially Garland's journey of self-discovery. This was a truly beautiful romance.

4.5 stars rounded up

I don't typically highlight or make notes when reading fiction, particularly not in ebooks. This book was an exception. I really connected with Garland, and barely noticed the single POV. This novel manages to be reflective about self, divorce, and a fraught childhood, and still joyful about growth and new love. It really explores families - both blood and found. And it's set at summer camp for adults! What fun!

In summary, this defied my expectations and I highly recommend. MCs are in their early 30s.

THIS is the Rom-Com sapphics deserve!!! I loved this book so so much. From the cheesy first name of the Main Character to the insta-love to the childhood summer camp vibes. This book made me feel so good and as a bisexual woman who figured it out at age 22, I LOVED Garland and related to her deeply. I wish younger me could have read this book but I feel so lucky to have gotten to read it in the first place. THIS is the sapphic book of the summer!!!

hank you to Berkley and Netgalley for this eARC

This was a very cute story. A simple, low stakes, high joy love story. Every time I expected a trope to pop up in it, the story skirted around it with ease and just embraced happiness. It was honestly impressive how it did it. Even though it involves a woman realizing at 32 she's queer, even though it involves her ex appearing, her love interest's ex appearing, a sister, an assumed attempted love story with the love interest's brother...all factors that could have could have lead to huge melodrama, Bridget instead gives us a bunch of expectation subversion, which I really appreciate. Which isn't to say there's anything wrong with melodrama, far from it, but the reverse is true as well: just watching two people steadily fall in love at adult summer camp felt really NICE.

Also, am I the only one who pictured the Magnusson brothers as the Hemsworths? Made me ponder who I'd cast as their sister Stevie, and who would play Garland (though saying that, her drunken first night honestly reminded me of Anna Kendrick at the start of Mr. Right so I think she's playing Garland in the movie in my head, so...).

What would I change? Very little. I think I might have liked to have seen more between Garland and her sister through out the bulk of the book, especially as Garland was realizing her attraction to Stevie. I was kinda picking up aro/ace vibes from Dara, and would have enjoyed to see that realized. Beyond that, can't think of much.

Shorter review this time around, but honestly, there's not much to say. Just an enoyable read. 4.5 stars.

What a perfect little summer read!

Short Synopsis:
Garland Moore is recently divorced. Garland and her sister never attended summer camp as kids, so they decide to go as adults. Garland befriends her cabin-mate, Stevie. Stevie becomes Garland’s wingwomen to set her up with her brother. But that’s not who Garland is interested in…

My Thoughts:
Bridget Morrissey’s last book - A Thousand Miles - was one of my favorites from 2022 so I was very excited for a new one from her. And this one met my expectations!

The adult summer camp was such a fun setting. It almost makes me want to find one. Almost. I thought this was a terrific summer book full of summer games, love and self discovery. It’s a perfect one to read for June and Pride Month.

Read if You Like:
🏕️ Summer Camp
🏕️ Obstacle courses and games
🏕️ Queer stories
🏕️ One liners that will have you laughing
🏕️ Late night swims
🏕️ Forced Proximity

Oh the nostalgia! I loved the focus of healing and self acceptance - not only did it work well for the plot but also very inspiring.
Garland and her sister, Dara, sign up for an adult version of sleepaway camp. As children, they struggled with the impacts of their parents' tumultuous marriage - and all they missed. Including camp.
Stevie and her brothers went to camp as children - a tight, competitive bond filled with love, devotion and snarky. Great balance.
Garland and Stevie quickly become friends - with a hint of something more. I loved it!

Garland goes to the adults week summer camp thinking it will be a pleasant break and cheer her but her time there changes her life. She's assigned Stevie as a room mate and falls in love- a love that surprises her. But wait- there are camp games and then her ex wants her back (really?). So much happens in a week but it's well written and a sapphic rom com is always welcome. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.