Annabel Monaghan is an auto-read summer author for me. Her books often hit on the same reliable topics: selling the family home full of memories, a younger love interest and family dynamics. Summer Romance ticks all of those boxes. Ali’s big conflict is that she tends to just give in when things get hard instead of standing up for herself and what she wants. Even knowing that, I was still disappointed that she tries to give up on her relationship with Ethan so easily. Ali does end up getting her happy ending, but it felt harder than it needed to be.

If you are working on your summer reading list, this is one to throw in your beach or pool bag.

Wonderful novel! The author is expert at writing realistic relationships. The challenges this couple faced were not gratuitous, they seemed completely plausible for what each person had experienced. An easy recommendation to any romance or women's fiction reader!

After reading Same Time Next Summer(my first Annabel Monaghan book I read) I vowed to read all of her books, so I was crazy excited when I received Summer Romance from the publishers.

The best part of this book was Ethan! Hello, new book boyfriend. He’s an amazing and wonderful character. Some might say he’s a golden retriever character(my first time hearing it I had to go look it up too.)
I just loved all the interactions and the love surrounding this book.

Even with Ali’s life crumbling, her mother passed away(TW) and she’s going through a divorce, learns to stand up for herself and find love again.

Spice level is low and it’s a closed door romance.
But it’s legit wonderful.

Thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Son for the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for a honest review.

I really enjoy Annabel Monaghan's stories. Even while being fun and having great connections within, there remains a weight and gravity to her leading ladies that just hits different. They're always at a turning point that isn't loud and flashy but instead quieter and serious in the way that all changes can be once early middle age arrives. So the tone and pace of this story is a slower one but also rife with delightful and touching moments.

I love that it's not just a romance, though there is plenty of romantic happenings. Ali is battling grief, divorce, and upheaval, but mostly coming to terms with the backseat she has taken throughout her entire life. Watching her come into her own was incredibly satisfying. And watching the lightness that Ethan helps guide her towards, while also falling in love and dealing with his own set of anxieties and family issues, added great humor to the story. It was a great balance overall.

IF I COULD EAT THIS BOOK, I WOULD! I love that Annabel Monaghan gives us romance featuring women in my age bracket (30-somethings) who have kids and don't have it all figured out! Ali and Ethan are so relatable and fun and their story is so easy to devour. I'm so excited for everyone to read this one, it's a goodie and perfect for summer reading! Highly recommend,

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for gifting me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Monaghan is back in what might be her best work yet in "Summer Romance." The writing in this one was very strong, and per usual Monaghan has written very likeable characters, This was another relatable story for women of a certain age that I think will be really well liked by all. This book felt good, with the kind of story that you just leave with the warm and fuzzies in your stomach. T0tally fine that this was more of a closed door romance. Four stars.

I laughed with Ali as she navigated dating life, I cried with her when she struggled with her oh so relatable Mom moments, and I completely swooned as she discovered what it felt like to truly be wanted for the first time in her life. And while her characters are actually amazing, her plot line is equally exceptional. I never feel bored, a loss of focus, or confused while reading her books. My only disappointment is that I will now have to wait an entire year for her next book.

Annabel Monaghan writes the perfect summer romance (pun intended) every time! This gives all of the feel good summer vibes while also delving into real topics like dating after divorce, dealing with grief, family dynamics, and more. I thoroughly enjoyed this one!

Thanks to PRH/Putnam and NetGalley for the ARC.

Annabel Monaghan did it again. From the beginning we fall in love with Ali and Ethan. This story has everything you want in a summer romance- a little spice, a love of romance and laugh out loud moments. If you’re looking for the perfect summer read I highly recommend this book, and all her other books for that matter!!

"Her parenting and gardening mottos are the same: 'Pull the weeds and let God do the rest.'"

Ali has had a rough couple of years.  Her mom died, and then a year later, her husband asks for a divorce. Things seem to look up when she meets Ethan at the local dog park. Ethan's only visiting, though, which means this new romance can only last for the summer, right?

I was so engrossed in this book.  Ali and Ethan bring out the best in each other, and those are my favorite type of romances.  Ali lost who she was for numerous reasons but was able to find herself at the end.  I couldn't help but root for her.  Ethan was dreamy and easy to love.  I connected with the characters so much. The icing on the cake was the cute beach town that was the setting of the story. This really is the perfect beach read for the summer. 

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I finished this book in one night because I could not put it down. It was such a compelling story. Her first novel, Nora Goes off Script, is one of my favorite books and Annabel Monaghan is quickly becoming one of my new favorite authors. This is a perfect summer read.

* I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this book. All thoughts are my own.

This is the third book by this author that I’ve read (and requested from NetGalley) and I’m always happy to read another! I really like her writing style. Though I feel like we sort of get to know the characters but I’m left wanting a little more. This book is a really quick read. I don’t particularly like family drama, especially marital issues so I didn’t l love that aspect of the story, but I really liked Ethan and I especially liked how he interacted with her kids.

Would recommend.

I don't have much of a relationship with Annabel Monaghan. I DNF'd her last book, Same Time Next Summer, but am still interested in Nora Goes Off Script. That being said, I don't think I'll read future books by this author.

It might be because I came to this book straight off Funny Story by Emily Henry, which was so thick with character development and emotional weight, that this book directly after felt incredibly superficial to me. Ali's recently gone through hardship -- first her mother dying, immediately followed by her husband announcing he wants a divorce -- and she tells us she's swallowed in grief, but we as the reader don't truly get to see it. We see the periphery of it and hear her bemoaning it, but we don't experience it firsthand. Just like we don't get to experience Ali and Ethan's past firsthand, which I would've liked to see more of so this current relationship -- him being her best friend's little brother, her not recognizing him at first -- has more stakes. So the complications are more fraught.

This is a short book, so I can't begrudge it too much, but with many books, I wanted more depth. More development. I wanted Pete to get told off more than that one brief time. I wanted more behind the scenes of Ethan's decision to leave Devon. I wanted more Frannie.

Just...more.

Loved this one. A mother of three, mid divorce decides to take off her ring and make the transition from "soft" pants to "hard" pants - spoiler alert - that means out of your sweats into pants with a zipper! And on the first day she does, she meets a guy at the dog park, they go on a date, and its the best date of her life. I loved Ali and Ethan, together and separately. Just light, fun and so enjoyable! Definitely a summer treat!

Ali Morris specializes in professional organization. She lost her mother two years ago and her husband requested a divorce a year later. After two years in a daze, she begins to emerge and removes her wedding ring. At the dog park, Ali encounters Ethan and they engage in light flirting. Ethan invites her to a baseball game and they enjoy their time together. However, a visit to her best friend's house reveals that Ethan is her best friend's younger brother. Ali and Ethan develop a friendship, which they keep hidden from her children. As Ali's estranged husband agrees to finalize their divorce through mediation, he is displeased to find Ethan accompanying Ali, not realizing Ethan is a lawyer there to protect Ali's interests. Ethan, who is not a local resident, is in town only for the summer to visit his family.

A great summer romance for us all to enjoy! I loved this sweet love story. It was full of self exploration and growth but was fun a focused on finding joy! I loved the characters and their community. It was closed door and very mild spice but had enough depth that it wasn’t too sugary sweet/cheesy.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts expressed are mine alone.

Summer Romance follows Ali, a freshly single mom off her divorce and her journey to rediscovering who she is after her marriage, reclaiming her youth, and truly learning what makes her happy. Although I couldn't personally relate with Ali's journey, I felt like Annabel Monaghan's ability to write depth into Ali's character and reveal the reasons why her previous marriage fell apart, allowed me as the reader a lot of space to empathize and honestly feel very invested in her self discovery journey. I wish I could've got into more details of Ali's personality, at times I felt like I never fully got to know her, but regardless I did appreciate her character.

The love interest in Summer Romance, Ethan, was a delight to read about. I absolutely love when romantic leads have lengthy history between them, in this case Ethan and Ali have history spanning back to childhood. I definitely felt the chemistry between Ethan and Ali, but at times I struggled to really buy into them being "perfect for each other" because their relationship did develop rather quickly. I think I would've enjoyed more of a slow burn given the context of the divorce and seeing Ethan support her in her self discovery then deciding to explore something romantically. Regardless, I loved how Ethan became a rock for Ali and I found the scenes with Ali's ex husband and Ethan to be very entertaining.

The thing I potentially enjoyed the most about this book was the setting. To me Summer Romance read as the perfect, atmospheric beach read. The imagery painted practically had me tasting the salt water air at home and made me wish I was reading this on the beach somewhere.

Summer Romance did lack a little bit of depth and believability in the romance for me to see it as a favorite, but I would absolutely recommend Summer Romance for your next beach read!

Thank you so much GP Putnam’s Sons for the ARC.

Rating: 4/5
Warning: divorce
Steam: closed door

Thank you to Putnam and NetGalley for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I did love this book! Summer Romance was such a feel good book that brought together women’s fiction with a romance. It gives similar vibes to Nora Goes Off Script, our heroine is starting over at the end of her marriage. Figuring out who she is outside of her identity as a mother, wife and daughter.

Things I loved: I found the hard pants storyline so funny. Ethan is someone I was routing for so hard and I do wish I got a bit of his perspective. I loved the relationship Ali had with her kids. All the organizing.

Annabel Monaghan is someone who writes books that are so relatable and realistic. This is also one you could gift your mom (or grandma) when they inevitably ask for a rec this summer.

✨ Pub Day: June 4, 2024 ✨

“Worrying about someone is sorta expecting them to fail.”

Ali was grieving the loss of her mother when her husband announced he wanted a divorce. A year later, Ali is still wearing sweat pants and barely holding it together for her three kids. As romance novels go, Ali meets a cute stranger named “Ethan” at the dog park and discovers he just might be what she needs this summer, but he comes with a secret.

Aww, this was one of my favorite romances. @annabelmonaghan is an amazing author. I think this is my favorite of her three books.

I adore Ali and Ethan. They’re for sure one of my favorite fictional couples now. I flew through this book and couldn’t put it down. Told from Ali’s perspective - she struggles pulling herself up from the extreme grief caused from the loss of her mother. Watching Ali build back her selfesteem was heartwarming. I loved Ali’s support system too- her friends and family. Good character development and likable characters made this romance better than most.

✨ Genre: Romance
💛 Steamy rating: Mild
🤬 Profanity: Mild

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Perfect summer read! I loved Nora Goes Off Script and this follows the same vein. Well built characters, emotional without being a tear jerker. Highly recommend. Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam for the copy in exchange for an honest review.
Pub date: 6/4/24