This book was a pleasure to read! This was my first book by this author and I can't wait to read more. Garland and I share a brain. Seeing a character that resembles me so much was both scary and comforting. Her queer awakening and acceptance were handled with such care in my opinion. Though her relationship with Stevie moved fast, it felt natural and I was so obsessed with them both come the end. I love how they brought out the best in each other. My favorite part outside of the romance was the relationship between Garland and her sister Dara. Dara was AMAZING!!! Stevie's siblings were also amazing. Actually, all the side characters had a purpose and were great. I love seeing queer people exist and have fun it was beautiful.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book for an honest review. Wow! I absolutely loved this book. Honestly, I was in a bit of a reading slump and was having trouble getting into any books. This was exactly what I needed: a clever setting in a summer camp, but with adults. Even queer adults! This is basically my Sapphic summer dream. This book has great family dynamics, new friendships, new love, self-discovery, forced proximity, childhood trauma, divorce…wow I could go on and on. I felt comfort while reading this book. Garland is an amazing main character. I felt like this story was made with care for the queer community. Bravo!

This book wasn't quite what I hoped it would be. I thought it would be a fun, goofy, uplifting story of adults letting loose and having fun at summer camp. Even though it was set at summer camp, I didn't get the campy feeling from the book I was expecting.
Also, the romance fell flat for my quickly because it was hyper-instalove. I don't generally have a problem with instalove but Garland kept talking about how Stevie saw her and understood her as only Stevie could, and they had literally only known each other for a couple days. I can get on board with attraction at first sight, but I didn't get a feeling that they were really sharing and growing together. They ran around holding hands and kissing but the emotional relationship building was not so pronounced.
Overall, it was an enjoyable story but I'd hoped for more.

I really enjoyed this romance novel, it had what I enjoyed about the concept and I was hooked from the first page. The romance itself felt like a realistic relationship and I enjoyed reading this grow. The characters worked well and I enjoyed the story overall. Bridget Morrissey does a great job in telling the story and I can't wait to read more from her.

"This time Stevie waited, saying nothing for so long I almost apologized again. Then she squared herself toward me, putting her hands on my shoulders. “Listen,” she said with a surprisingly gentle touch. “Please stop apologizing to me. You were genuinely scared. That’s not something I could ever be mad at you for."

Thank you to NetGalley, Bridget Morrissey, and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC of That Summer Feeling.

I loved this concept so much! I went to summer camp as a kid and thought the idea of an adult summer camp could be such a great storyline. This book was a sweet romance between the characters.

I enjoyed this book and I thought the story between Garland (incredible name) and Stevie was cute. This one was definitely more os a slow burn, and I often found myself wishing for more early on. I really enjoyed how real Garland was. Morrissey illustrated her flaws and insecurities so well, which made her an extremely relatable character. However, I felt the depth we got with Garland greatly outweighed the depth of Stevie, and I wish we had gotten to know her a bit more.

I felt the book touched on too many different plot points to go in depth on any of them. I found myself wanting to know more about the characters and the camp. It all ended up feeling a bit surface level to me.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a light, quick romance read.

Did you ever go to summer camp as a kid?

I went once and it was an interesting experience. There were lots of things to do that I really enjoyed, and I had a good time. Sure, there were some ups and downs, but overall it was good. When my daughter is older I will probably send her to one as well.

Garland is recently divorced and struggling with love. When some new friends invite her to attend a sleepaway camp to recharge, she jumps on the opportunity. She’s hoping it’s a place to let go of her past and start anew. The camp is perfectly gorgeous and serene. Garland finds herself bunked with Stevie, a vibrant former park ranger who is delightfully charming and competitive. Garland soon finds herself drawn to Stevie in a way she has never been drawn to anyone before and she wonders if she has found love again.

This was a slow burn romance for sure and at times I struggled with the pacing, but when it all hits you – it hits hard. I enjoyed Garland and felt like I could relate to her so much. I would say this romance also had a lot of personal growth for Garland and this book showcased her growth on her stay at camp. It was quite inspirational. There was also so much nostalgia in this one that it made it even more enjoyable.

If you’re looking for a slow burn queer romance, then check this one out May 30th.

Thank you to the publisher Berkley Publishing, @berkleypub, Berkley Romance, @BerkleyRomance and Netgalley @netgalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a delightful surprise! This is my first book by Morrissey and I was delighted with it! I really loved the premise of this book -- this old Summer Camp being turned into a (no ulterior agenda) summer camp for adults? I want that. I loved how the characters were all here to relive some youth whimsy/to work on finding themselves... and I loved how Garland realized the future she planned for herself wasn't her plan at all. I can't wait to recommend this one to patrons and I'll be looking forward to more content from Morrissey in the future!

Bridget Morrissey presents a cute but undeveloped romance between the two main characters. Ultimately, there was too many ideas (romance, magical realism, family ties) that just touched the surface throughout the book. I would recommend this book to libraries with a large LGBTQIA+ communities.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

There’s something about this book that just felt so special to me. Even though I haven’t ever been married or divorced, something about Garland’s personality just spoke to me. I could see this being a comfort read! I see so much of myself in Garland and her personality. Especially with her not really knowing what she wanted to do in life.

There’s a simplicity to this book, something that isn’t very loud, but is very impactful at the same time. I don’t know if I can fully put into words exactly why I gave this five stars, because it feels like such a personal story to me. I just know it feels safe and beautiful and I loved every minute of it. To Garland’s thought process, to her relationship with Stevie, to the setting of being at summer camp.

I loved Garland from minute one. It was so refreshing to read about thirty year olds. Even though I’m not thirty yet, I’m getting there and can soon relate to that feeling. I loved watching her discover herself and take back part of her childhood which she had lost. She had such an amazing growth and I was so happy to watch her become the person she was meant to be.

Garland and Stevie have such a natural chemistry! They had light banter, funny quips, and had an ease which you didn’t question! The running joke about the birds throughout the story had me dying of laughter every time. I loved seeing Stevie accept Garland for who she was and Garland didn’t feel like she needed to be a different person around her.

I wish we got a LITTLE more of her and Dara interacting. I know that’s not the most important part of the story, but I thought their bond was so interesting, I wanted to see them talking more throughout the book. We did get a lot of touching moments at the end which I appreciated.

The siblings bonds were so sweet for all of the characters where it was mentioned. Lake night was one of my favorite parts of the book; it touched me in a very impactful way. I also loved Michelle! She wasn’t in it very often, but when she was she was a great addition to the book.

I’m glad there was no drama after they got into a relationship and we saw a decent amount of them actually being together. The spice level was absolutely perfect for me, nothing too graphic but also still enough, and I thought it was written very well. It was tender and sexy.

Honestly I could see this being in the top ten of one of my favorite books of all time. I was not expecting that, but it was such a pleasant surprise. I had chills and tears in my eyes as I was finishing it. Such an amazing book. I definitely want to read more by this author!

This book was honestly a balm for my soul. It was immensely sweet, handled deep feelings without ever getting too intense to read, and really made me want to look into summer camp for adults! This is not really a book I would pick up if you want thrills or even a romance that also deals with heavier topics. While there are some discussions around divorce, dealing with childhood trauma, queer realizations, deep self reflections, and others, it was very gentle with these topics, never showed anything explicitly, and, I felt, was a lovely balance of being realistic while maintaining the dreaminess of a romance. Admittedly, the book was a little different than I thought it would be (for instance: when I heard divorced, I definitely thought the main character was going to be older, but she's only in her early thirties-which I know might be considered a little old in some circles of the romance book world, but I think that says way more about romance book world than it does about this book. anyway.), but I don't think it was different in any bad way! In fact, there were some elements that I don't want to spoil that were a very pleasant surprise! I don't know if I'll be mulling it over like I have with other books, which is part of why I didn't go for the full five stars, but if I'm wrong and I do, I will happily add another star. Mostly, this was just an extremely sweet, sapphic romance! And I REALLY WANT TO GO TO SUMMER CAMP NOW AUGH

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. This was a delightful little queer rom com where you wished you could transport yourself to the fun & idyllic setting of the book. It was pretty cheesy, but in the comforting way that you expect from a romance novel.

I found Garland to be immensely relatable. I highlighted so many lines in this book because I resonated so much with her journey, insecurities, fears, and overall personality. I thought she was funny and extremely likable. I also really enjoyed the setting! A summer camp for adults? Yes, please. I thought this was so unique and I've never read another book like it. I couldn't stop picturing the camp from The Parent Trap. I loved this idea for a setting and enjoyed the people she met at camp and all the activities. It honestly made me a little jealous that I wasn't there!

However, I felt that the romance aspect fell flat for me. I'd consider it a slow burn, though Garland does instantly like Stevie a lot. Yet, the part where the characters finally get together just kind of happens with little fanfare. To me, it felt like one day Garland was unaware of her romantic feelings for Stevie and the next day they were together. This felt especially difficult since she came to the camp still in love with her ex-husband and was pretty much unaware of her attraction to women until Stevie. I thought they were cute together, don't get me wrong, but I think I needed a little more excitement when they finally got together. I also didn't feel like I knew Stevie all that well by the end of the book and I would have enjoyed more of a focus on her.

Finally, I think this book was maybe trying just a little too hard to be inspirational, especially toward the end. In the beginning, I enjoyed a lot of the more inspiring quotes about healing and overcoming insecurities/fears, but towards the end I found myself skimming a lot of the parts that were about Garland celebrating her personal growth. I love that she felt like she had made so much progress on her healing journey after her stay at camp, but it was just a week. It felt like the author was trying to convey that she had undergone some massive personal change, but honestly, it just didn't come across as quite that impactful to me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a cute, easy, sapphic summer read!

I read this book in one day and it is my new favorite queer romance (which makes it my favorite romance in general). I never knew before this that I wanted to go to adult summer camp. Now I don’t know how I’ve lived without it. Everything about this book felt so real, from the characters to the lake to the love. Even though it takes a WHILE for the love to hit, it hits hard and washes over you like a deep wave. I didn’t want to come up for air.

Growing up, I always wanted to go to summer camps. I did go to church camp, where we had a lot of similar activities to other summer camps, but I wanted the 'regular' experience (as I called it when I was a kid). I wanted to know what it was like. To this day, I'm a sucker for anything summer camp related in books - especially romance - and Morrissey did not let me down here.

I love the nostalgia that this book creates, and somehow, she managed to perfectly capture that summer feeling. There are lessons to be learned, even if you can't apply them to yourself (reading is good for expanding your emotional capacity and all that), and it's impossible not to root for the entire cast of characters in this book. Except Ethan. I will never root for him.

If you've read A Thousand Miles, you also get some tie-ins to that story, but it's definitely not required reading for this book. I'm just a sentimental pile of goo whenever authors I like reference their characters in other books.

Also shout out for the Hunger Games references.

Basically, I think this book is a must read for anybody who loves romance and wants to let their inner kid go back to camp again.

That Summer Feeling is an extremely unique Sapphic romance following 32-year-old, divorcee Garland Moore, as she attends a summer sleepaway camp for adults in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Georgia. For the past year, Garland has been living with her sister in NC, ever since her husband surprised her with divorce papers. She feels lost. She doesn’t like her job, no longer believes in love, and feels unable to commit to anything. Her and her sister decide a summer camp reinvention is just what she needs to help her move on.

This book is focused on the transformative power of summer camp. During her time at camp, Garland has a Queer awakening, makes new friends, and strengthens her relationship with her sister, Dara. Garland realizes that for so much of her life, she has been doing things that she thinks she should do (including compulsory heterosexuality) and not things that make her happy. She finds her voice, her direction and love.

I also really enjoyed the found family aspect of this book. Everyone at camp was so welcoming and supportive. A lot of the campers were also Queer, and the book has great representation.

Stevie and Garland were so sweet together. They both offered support to each other in different ways and complimented each other well.

I really did enjoy this book but did struggle with the future visions/ daydream component of the story. I didn’t mind the meet cute portion, the connection to Mason, but I really didn’t get the other part of it.

Overall, this is a unique summer read with a plethora of lovable characters highlighting the transformative power of summer camp and the magic of nature. That Summer Feeling will make you want to grab your current read, a bottle of SPF and head to the closest lake for some fun.

*I will post my review on IG, goodreads, Amazon and B&N closer to release day.

RATING: 4/5

I am absolutely in LOVE with the cover of this book and I'm happy to share this book lived up to my expectations from the cover! This was the cutest f/f romance and adult coming of age story about Garland, a divorcee who goes to an adult summer camp and unexpectedly finds love and community. I had so much fun reading about Stevie and Garland's camp adventures. There were many hilarious and heartwarming moments. I also loved the supporting characters, especially Stevie's brothers!

Positively shimmering with summer feels. I adored this queer romance--it was everything I wanted in a summer read.

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

CW: divorce (past), family tensions, cheating (past)

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-f/f contemporary romance
-bi awakening
-adult summer camp
-roommance
-vacation romance
-insta love

This book was so soft and tender. Feeling a bit lost in her life, Garland is still full of hope and believing in fate. She and her sister end up at an adult sleep away camp for a week and it's just as fun as it sounds. I really enjoyed Garland's character. Living her life in the most unassuming way, how she believes she should, she begins to learn and accept herself. That she may not have everything figured out, her very real crush on her roommate Stevie, and that even if she didn't ask for it her divorce really was for the best.

I adored Garland's relationship with both of her sisters especially Dara how they were just there for each other always supportive. Stevie's brothers too were lovely, their camp traditions, how they automatically welcomed Garland and I just loved how this book was a celebration of family found and biological, all of its forms. This camp was such a safe space for Garland to learn about herself, accept she's queer and just lean into it fully with Stevie. She's just so much herself, dancing, making friends and just living her best camp life.

Steam: 3

An interesting story full of twists, turns, fun characters and overall a book I would consider reading time and time again.

One of the most adorable queer rom-coms I've read so far!

Garland finding herself and her own sexuality at this adult summer camp was so beautiful. Stevie is such an amazing character and really brought the best in Garland.

I could read this over and over and over again!

Thank you to netgalley and Berkley publishing for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book will stay within my heart for much longer to come.