For the Love of Summer
This is such a cute story. Erica is a badass business women with a daughter that has a heart of gold. She also has an idiot ex husband. While the events of the book are super unrealistic, because let’s be honest no one loves a new wife like that, this book gives you an opportunity to feel like maybe there are people like that in the world. This book really did inspire me to be better and judge less.
If you have enjoyed other titles by Susan, you are sure to like this one as well.

I am a huge Susan Mallery fan and have read almost all of her books. With that being said, this didn’t feel like a typical Susan Mallery book. Several times while reading the book, I actually went back and checked to make sure I was reading a book by Susan Mallery.

I loved this book! The story was fascinating and kept me hooked the whole time. Erica was an INCREDIBLE character and I adored her from the beginning. Allison grew on me throughout the book. I thought Peter was scum, and Allison not seeing it and just bring in denial 80% of the book was very frustrating. The second Allison asked for a divorce, she redeemed herself in my eyes. Erica and Allison’s growth was amazing and I adored their friendship. This book was nothing that I expected and I really enjoyed it!!

For the Love of Summer
by Susan Mallery
Pub Date: June 4, 2024
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Erica would do anything for Summer, even take in the woman her daughter loves like a second mom. Allison feels intimidated by Erica—a woman who would never let herself become so dependent on a man. But the more time they spend together, the more Allison realizes what Erica truly needs is a friend. Can two women who married the same man move beyond their complicated past and rethink what it means to be family?
I really enjoyed this Summer Read and highly recommend it for people who want a sweet story about moving forward.
Topics of. of being able to be financially independent and not allowing past hurts to influence future loves are handled. It is not a graphic, romance novel, but a sweet story of an unlikely friendship and moving forward.
5 stars

I always look forward to Susan Mallory’s newest book. This one roped me in from the very first page. Erica was married to Peter but they got divorced and he then married Alison. Peter finds himself in jail and poor Alison is practically homeless with a 18 month old and is pregnant by Peter. Erica steps up and helps her find her way again. It’s quite a story! I enjoyed it! A feel good story to me. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release. Due out June 2024.

Summer is a fairly mature 16 year old girl who loves her family, including her stepmother and half brother and half sister. When Summer's dad is arrested and Summer's stepmom, Allison, is overwhelmed with handling everything, Summer tries to help. Erica, Summer's mom, is a successful salon owner and businesswoman. She could care less about Summer's father being in prison. What she does care about though is doing everything she can for Summer, who she loves with all her heart and soul.

This is a true escape from life book - it reads easily and quickly but still has some substance to the storyline. I would love to see a sequel to this book to see how everything moves on in the end.

I highly recommend this book if you are looking for something that isn't too serious, not too dark, just an uplifting kind of book. I was given this copy from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

The book started a little slow but picked up at about 30%. A little predictable but I love a good female empowerment story.

I really wanted to like this book, in fact by chapter 2 I was completely enthralled and ready to binge it. Unfortunately, the book really dragged on, and it truly felt like nothing happened. I found myself wanting to DNF by 50% but pushed through because I thought surely something would happen. I wondered "how many times can these characters have the exact same conversations?" I'm sure this just wasn't my cup of tea.

Thank you to netgalley, Susan Mallery, and the publishers for the opportunity to read an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a wonderful book. It sucked me in from the start and I could not put it down! A great story of forgiveness and friendship, love and amends.

This was a little different than other Susan Mallery books I have read, and the story line was a little unbelievable at first. BUT by the end I decided it was excellent. Shows what happens when someone has a super generous heart. Wonderful story. Highly recommend! I could see it being a hallmark movie. Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

For the Love of Summer was a very enjoyable book. Loved the storyline with the multi generational take. Great summer read if you are looking for a great beach read!

Susan Mallery has another great book. “For the Love of Summer” is a wonderful story of multi-generational family of strong, caring women. Erika, owner of a successful spa business, takes care of everyone but won’t open her heart to love again. Her ex-husband is still effecting her life. Watch the drama and growth of the family evolve in this great book. Thank you to Net Galley and MIRA publishing for this ARC read. Don’t miss this one. Comes out June 4th

For the Love of Summer was my first novel from Mallery, and I loved so much about it. It read similar (to me) to a Lisa Scottoline book and I mean that in a good way- overall it was maybe just a bit lighter? It had so much of a redeeming storyline in a background that could be a super heavy and hard reading book.

Summer is precious. I loved the friendships that pop up throughout the book. Character-wise, this book hit it out of the park. I honestly don't know that I would change any single character.

I loved that even though you have this super business-minded -career driven woman, she's still loving and soft, and you get to see so many different angles from her! As an example, I love that she's good with young children. A lot of times this kind of a character is written as someone who is very uncomfortable or awkward with children and it doesn't have to be!

The support that you see from so many different characters is just incredible. I will be picking this one up many times in the future, I think!
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC; all opinions are honest and individual.

Another great read by Susan Mallery. Erica, the successful business owner of a chain of salons, gives into her daughter, Summer, and invites her ex-husbands pregnant wife to move in with her when her husband goes to jail.

This is an enjoyable story about family, friendship, and starting over. It is also about the lengths we as mothers will go to keep our children happy. Each character has different strengths and makes those around them better. While reading this book I felt like a member of the family and truly cared about what happened to each of them!

Thank you to NetGalley and MIRA for the ARC for my honest opinion. I highly recommend!!

Susan Mallery has done it again. Of course I’m not surprised because she is one of my favorite authors. The main character Erika is a successful owner of four salon/spas. This has been her dream since childhood and she has been laser focused on it. One day her husband comes in and says he wants a divorce. Erika loves him, even though he is an abusive and narcissistic person, and this causes her to lose all trust in love and men. Time passes the husband remarries Allison. Allison thinks she has found the love of her life and adores Summer Erika’s daughter. One day she finds out the man she thought she loved is not at all as he seems. He has been arrested leaving her in a mess. What follows is a story of forgiveness, healing and redemption. One never knows who will be the one to step and lend you the gift of sisterhood and help you get your life on track. Another excellent read!

This was such a beautiful story. It very much read like one of the novels I would have picked up off of my Grandmothers bedside table but in the best, most heartwarming way. It really put a large spotlight on all the challenges and rewards of friendship with other women. Erica was so amazing at navigating all the challenges life through at her. It was an amazing story about four wonderful women in different parts of their lives and how strong we can be when we all come together.

I liked the book. I got a good ways through it, but i didn’t like the way it had its layout to read it on my kindle and it kinda bothered me enough that i couldn’t read it anymore.

Cute, fast read. The main character is Erica, a smart, independent business owner of multiple salons in the Seattle area. Erica lives in a huge house with her daughter Summer and her mother. Erica’s ex husband, Peter, lives in a separate rental home with his pregnant wife Allison and toddler son. Peter is arrested for embezzlement, wire fraud and other crimes. Allison is a sweet, small town woman who is terrified and distraught when her funds are frozen, she is about to be homeless and she is due to give birth. Summer adores her stepmother and brother and begs her mom to let them move in. The story proceeds from there. Topics of being able to be financially independent and not allowing past hurts to influence future loves are handled. It is not a graphic, romance novel, but a sweet story of an unlikely friendship and moving forward.

I received this ARC from the publisher for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this novel by Susan Mallery. The story focused on the relationship between two women who should have never gotten along but somehow really do! Erica and Allison share a common bond. Allison is married to Erica's ex-husband Peter. When Erica finds herself alone and pregnant after Peter is arrested, her stepdaughter, Summer, is concerned for her well-being. Peter has left Allson in a dire economic situation which isn't easily remedied. Erica who is a very successful business owner finds herself taking in Allison and slowly a beautiful friendship develops. Allison starts to allow herself to become a more independent woman while Erica might just let herself open up to love. This is definitely a feel-good novel which grabs your attention from the very beginning!

I absolutely loved this book. This was such a great story about humility, growth, and unconditional love. Instead of being the conventional love story it was a story about the love that a mother has for her daughter and the lengths that she will go to, in order to make her happy. “For the love of Summer” was a perfect description of this book, I could not think of a better title.
This story is told from dual points of view of Erica and Allison. Erica is a very successful owner of a chain of luxury spas. She is a single mother raising her 16-year-old daughter Summer. Allison is married to Peter, Erica’s ex-husband, they have a 20-month-old son and a daughter on the way. Summer is very close with her dad and his new family. Erica struggles with this relationship and how to deal with a daughter that does not have the same interests as her. Their lives are turned upside down when Peter is arrested leaving Allison alone with no money or resources. Summer is determined to help any way that she can, so she comes up with a plan for Allison and her son to move in with Erica and Summer. What follows is a lesson in compassion, forgiveness, and love. The title really sums this story up perfectly. There love for Summer brought them together and allowed them to form a relationship.
The character development was great, you get to witness the internal struggles of both women. As you can imagine this was difficult for both of them. Erica’s mother Mara was quirky and added humor to the book and we cannot forget about Killian. He was the rock for everyone really.
I highly recommend this book; I think this would be a great read to share between mother and daughter. I could easily have read more, I didn’t want the story to end!!

"For Love of Summer" by Susan Mallery is a delightful blend of comedy and drama, reminiscent of a comedic Danielle Steele novel. The story is filled with moments of anger, sadness, kindness, and happiness, making it a rollercoaster of emotions. The ex-wife's ownership of her salon showcases her mercy towards a young hairdresser's mistake, highlighting themes of forgiveness and second chances. Meanwhile, the challenges faced by the second wife, with a son and a baby on the way, add depth to the narrative, especially as money becomes an issue. The tensions between the ex-wife and the second wife intensify as financial troubles surface, leading to frozen bank accounts due to illegal activities. The downfall of the husband, charged with criminal activity and leaving the second wife alone, underscores the consequences of his actions and the impact on those around him. Overall, "For Love of Summer" captivates with its engaging plot, compelling characters, and exploration of complex relationships.