A Hollywood D-list celebrity banished to his hometown in North Carolina to clean up his image, a carpenter and set designer trying to move on with his life, lots of colorful and interesting characters (including a scene stealing dog), some seriously hot, sexy times all made Vanessa North’s Summer Stock an exciting and entertaining romance.

The last place Ryan thought he’d be spending the summer is in Banker’s Shoals North Carolina, but on the advice of his manager and agent he is home and doing Shakespeare in his cousin’s theater. While he’s not necessarily excited to be back home; he loves playing these characters again and getting back into “real’ acting. Ryan genuinely loved acting and even though he is well known, he was good non starring roles because for him it was about the art. I loved how he mentored the other actors and really wanted the productions to be the best they could be.

For years Trey has built the sets and been a part of the theater so it surprises him when he finds his one night stand at rehearsals and when he finds out he’s his friend’s cousin and a Hollywood star. Trey is a survivor and struggles with letting anyone get too close, but he is drawn to Ryan and can’t seem to get him out of his head. Being that Ryan isn’t “out” as bisexual, things get very interesting, very quickly.

I very much enjoyed this story and seeing everything that goes into a summer stock production. All the characters were interesting and Trey and Ryan were both very flawed. What I appreciated was that we saw both of these men grow throughout this story and become better versions of themselves.

Ms. North turns up the heat in this one and I would classify it as an erotic romance and that’s not a bad thing, but for those readers who don’t like extra steam with their sexy times you might be a bit surprised by this book. Me, I loved it!

I have to give a shout out to Trey’s dog, a Newfoundland who completely stole every scene he was in. Ferdinand aka Ferdy was huge, precious, and despite his size basically a big ol’ puppy who definitely loves chewing things up, especially underwear of unsuspecting guests.

A wonderful romance, an exciting epilogue (which gives me hope for more books to come), and best of all two people finding love despite the odds, I loved Summer Stock.

Summer Stock by Vanessa North is a relatively mellow, often humorous, summertime fling that builds into so much more. Both our guys have “decorative” pasts and during this summer they grow, heal, and mature - together.

The story unfolds as Ryan Hertzog, aka Ryan Hart, faces scandals that could end his acting career. Banished back to his roots in North Carolina he is lying low for the summer at his cousin’s summer stock theater.

Summer stock set-builder/handyman Trey Donovan has gotten out of an abusive relationship and is slowly getting himself back in the game. He’s not ready for a relationship but he won’t say no to a fling here and there.

Ryan and Trey start out with a drunken hookup ending with Ryan’s underwear becoming a chew toy for Trey’s giant dog. Compounded further by Ryan’s fear of the animal - whoops - he exposes himself to the paparazzi. Just the kind of thing he is supposed to be avoiding this summer. Oh and let’s not forget running into each other again at summer stock.

The men quickly patch things up and settle on a summer fling.

Unbeknownst to them their fling is actually a slow building, relatively low angst relationship as they spend time together and share bits and pieces of themselves.

Sure they face bumps and obstacles and maybe even some misunderstandings, all believable. It was enjoyable watching them realize their feelings and form a healthy relationship.

Summer Stock not only flourishes with a realistic couple that we can easily connect with, but an important supporting cast including Ali (Ryan’s best friend), Caroline (Ryan’s cousin), Mason (Caroline’s partner) and Ferdinand (Trey’s gentle giant of a dog). Together these lives face challenges, grow, mature, create bonds, and manifest a summer of memories.

Go ahead and escape to Summer Stock. Enjoy the romance and antics created by the cast assembled by Vanessa North, you will not be disappointed that you did.

I love Vanessa North, and though this book looks light and fluffy, there was a lot more to it than that. I really enjoyed this one of hers. Her characters deal with some complex side issues, though the relationship was supportive and realistic. I like North's books because they offer an alternative to fluff, and they give substantial stories with complex and well developed plots and characters.

A tv star and a handyman? I'm sold!

Or at least I was.

An overall enjoyable book, but one that never was quite what I thought it would be, which sometimes can be good, and othertimes not. Liked all the tv and acting stuff and felt that Ryan and Trey had a good connection, but that something was a little off for me. Nothing I can point at though.

A solid romance - but that cover throws me off. It's much darker than the cover lets on (were they trying to compensate?)

3.5 stars

“There is no script. You don’t get to rehearse being in love.” – Vanessa North

I loved that line, spoken in the book by Ryan’s best friend, Ali, so, so much. Because it’s so incredibly true, right? And, it’s especially true of the main characters, Ryan and Trey, in Vanessa North’s fantastic new book, Summer Stock. The path to love is not without its struggles for these guys. There is no script. They definitely don’t always do or say the perfect thing. But, they are genuine and so easy to fall in love with.

Ryan Hertzog, known in Hollywood as Bryan Hart, has come back to the place he grew up to do Shakespeare by the Sea at his cousin Caro’s theater. Things had recently been getting a bit out of control in Hollywood—his best friend even winding up in rehab—and Ryan and his agent felt like a getaway to North Carolina to do some summer stock was the perfect way for Ryan to get his head on straight and decide where he wanted his career to go. Or, if it was even salvageable. He doesn’t expect to travel all the way across the country and have the paparazzi still be such a prominent pain in his ass, though. And he definitely doesn’t plan on meeting a sexy contractor his very first night back in town. A sexy contractor who he can’t get out of his head.

Trey Donovan has been building sets for Shakespeare by the Sea for the past five years, and is as excited as anyone on the first day to hear that season’s plays announced, and see what’s in store for the summer. But this year, the butterflies in his stomach triple as soon as he realizes that his one-night-stand that ended in disaster is sitting in the office with Caro and her partner Mason. Despite how things ended that night, however, Trey and Ryan are both pleased to see each other again. I loved, loved this paragraph:

Trey’s breath caught in his throat when Ryan turned to greet him. He had thought that maybe he’d embellished in hindsight, that his hookup couldn’t have been that handsome, but there was no denying that Ryan was the most beautiful person he’d seen in his life. And, the way he was looking at Trey now, with surprise and warmth and a hint of shyness—it struck Trey down to his bones. How was it possible this was the same guy who’d scurried out of his house so fast he’d forgotten his pants?
And this, when Trey is watching rehearsal and talking to Caro about their hookup, killed me:

Trey slumped back in his seat. “He ran out of my house in such a hurry he forgot his pants. I don’t think he found my performance as impressive as I find his Marc Antony.”
Ha! So good.

In fact, I thought everything about these guys, and this book, was so good. I loooove how sexy they find each other and how playful they are. Their chemistry is incredible, and seems effortless. They just…fit. Each bringing to the table something the other needed. Ryan had a rough childhood and has had trouble finding his footing in Hollywood, leaving himself open to self-doubt and feeling like he’s not worthy of respect and love. He’s constantly working for everyone’s approval, and trying to be good enough. Trey helps him see the strong, competent, good man he already is. Trey is dealing with PTSD from horrible domestic violence suffered at the hands of his ex-husband, and Ryan gives him the levity and understanding he needs to keep working through it. I love so much that even after knowing about what happened to Trey, Ryan doesn’t look at him and see a victim. He just sees Trey. And, Trey needs that so badly.

The story’s supporting cast is also completely fabulous. Caro is wonderful, and Ryan’s biggest cheerleader and protector. Mason is such an important and transformative person in Ryan’s life. Trey’s sister Kim is fantastic. And, Ali and West both play huge roles and I ended up really loving them. Especially Ali, who was such an important part of Ryan’s life. I loved where Vanessa North took her character.

North’s style, as always, is smooth and enjoyable, and the writing is smart, current, and engrossing, pulling so many emotions out of the reader. This was truly a fantastic book. I loved every bit of it, and absolutely, whole-heartedly recommend it. Summer Stock is a perfect feel-good summer romance.

*3.25 stars*

I like Vanessa North, but I've been struggling with her stuff recently. While I am not the biggest fan of the celebrity-dates-ordinary-man plotline, I was excited to try another Vanessa North book to (hopefully) make me fall in love again.

Summer Stock has a light and breezy cover, but the plotline is much more angsty than it appears. While there isn't a ton of drama between the MCs, which I appreciated, the MCs still carry a fair amount of baggage. I don't mind baggage, and I even welcome it at times, so characters having intense backstories don't scare me off.

My overall feeling towards this story is that I liked it. I really liked some of the sex scenes (I wish they went even further, especially with the toppy talk), and I liked the interactions between the MCs.

However, I had some issues with the story that kept me from rating it higher. They aren't big things, but they added up to something more significant than I was hoping for.

I thought there was too much time spent on the side characters and side stories, many of the details of which I found to be really boring. I'm not interested in the acting world, and some of the details, especially with the supporting cast members, caused my attention to flag. It took me days and days to finish this one, which is usually a bad sign for me.

Most importantly, though, I just felt like something was forced about the entire story. Lots of "lessons" and characters being put in situations where they have to "grow," but it all felt just shy of natural. It's hard to explain, but there was something very calculated-feeling about the situations.

Overall, I enjoyed this one. I had a few small issues, but it really was a nice story with a good couple and some hot scenes.

*Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Summer Stock is a very lovely love story that features some nice platonic friendships. The main characters, Ryan and Trey, are both trying to figure out their place in life; Ryan is figuring his life out while his best friend Ali is in rehab and he's trying to shed the Hollywood party boy persona. Trey, however, survived abusive marriage, getting out barely alive, and now he's dealing with its fallout and his own insecurities. Vanessa North dealt with both of their insecurities and problems without any unnecessary drama or pitfalls.

Both Ryan and Trey were very likable characters and they had chemistry, and there was some good and steamy moments. The biggest applauds has to go to the fact that both of them acted like responsible adults and they actually talked about things and problems, and apologized when they made mistakes. It was very refreshing and partly because of that there wasn't a lot of angst and drama. Summer Stock was nice and quite smooth sail, a really cute contemporary romance that made me happy to dive into it. And of course, I was so super excited to have bisexual main character! Especially one like Ryan who was well rounded character who refused to be labelled as anything else than bisexual.

Overall, Summer Stock was really nice love story which was quiet in a sense that there wasn't any unnecessary drama. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, and I do recommend it to anyone who finds the blurb interesting.

I really tried to like this one because my bestie Kristie loved it.
But
It just didnt work for me so it was DNF.

This review has been published on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Joyfully Jay Reviews: http://joyfullyjay.com/2017/05/review-summer-stock-by-vanessa-north/

Trey Donovan is a survivor. He’s remade his life in the wake of his ex-husband’s near-lethal abuse and is happily doing handyman jobs in North Carolina’s Outer Banks. He has loving family, close friends, and panic attacks about entering his garage–his incarcerated ex’s former “man cave.”

Trey is also a bit lonely and is all too eager to bring home the sexy man he meets while hanging out at his sister’s bar. Ryan seemed so eager after the jalapeño margaritas, but in the cold light of day he rushes off so fast he literally leaves his pants–and gets caught in the buff by paparazzi. Because Ryan isn’t any ole Joe–he’s an actor who regularly makes the tabloids with his “girlfriend” Ali, a party girl now in rehab. Ali and Ryan aren’t a thing, but they pretend to be to keep Ryan’s bisexuality out of the news. They are besties and roomies, but Ali’s been dating a power producer for a long time and they would have gone public if Ali hadn’t gotten wasted, wrecked and rehabbed.

Ryan came back to tiny Banker’s Shoals to the only family he’s close with, his cousin Caro. Caro is a strong gal who owns a piece of a Shakespeare dinner theater in their tourist town. The theater’s been struggling, but Ryan’s attempts to raise publicity are all rebuffed by Caro–she doesn’t want to exploit Ryan while he’s vulnerable.

Okay, whew! I think those are almost all the relevant stakes for the book. There is a lot going on, and yet I never felt confused. Ryan and Trey develop a sweet attraction, but Ryan keeps everything on the down low, at first. It’s a giant closet snafu, or two, with these guys. I loved how Ryan continued to mature and consider others before his own needs. He’s not a bad guy, but he is short sighted and occasionally oblivious. Ferdinand, Trey’s giant dog, was such a great companion, and there’s a lot of humor that comes from his shenanigans. The plot is a bit heavy on shenanigans, half-truths, and misunderstandings, but no more than any other contemporary romance. The story is loosely built on A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the play Ryan is performing in, which has rumors and misdirection as part of the plot, and is subtlely mirrored in Summer Stock. Much of the misdirection and drama stem from Ryan’s closeted status; it also includes all the nonsense Ali brings, too.

Trey wants a fair and loving relationship; he’s unsure if he deserves one, though. It was empowering to experience Trey’s therapy, and see his bravery for making fresh start after years of surviving. Expect some gags, some sweetness, and some truth to win the day in the end. I had feared the story with all its plot lines and the added twist on A Midsummer Night’s Dream would be silly, but it felt real and I really enjoyed it.

Due to lack of time/problems with scheduling, I did not end up reviewing this title. I appreciate the opportunity to read this title.

I think it’s safe to say that I love Vanessa North. The first book I read by her, Blueberry Boys, was fantastic and I loved Summer Stock just as much. It’s really easy to love both Ryan and Trey. While Ryan is back in his hometown working on Shakespeare plays because of his bad boy antics in Hollywood, he’s not a bad guy. He doesn’t take himself seriously and he’s more than happy to play the secondary character instead of the lead. However, when his best friend ends up in rehab, he knows that he needs to stay out of the press and get his life back on track before taking on Hollywood again.

As for Trey, he works on the sets every summer for Shakespeare by the Sea. He used to be married, but that relationship was abuse and his ex is now in jail. Despite this, he’s open to the possibility of seeing Ryan after they have what was seemingly a one-night stand. However, he still has issues in his past that he has to deal with and he seems to unintentionally sabotage their relationship because he doesn’t feel good enough. It was sad to see, though perfectly understandable at the same time.

I loved seeing Ryan and Trey open up to each other and realize that they can be a good match. It’s not easy and it doesn’t take just the summer, but it’s great when it finally all comes together! Highly recommended!

I don't remember reading anything by Vanessa North before, but I'm really glad I requested this book on Netgalley. Summer Stock was a fun, quick read. The writing was right up my alley and the characters were well developed and interesting. I especially liked how North dealt with Trey's PSTD and I loved Ryan and Ali's relationship. Friendship between men & women are so rare in this genre and this one was just so good and complex, and one of the strongest aspects of Summer Stock.

Only two things bothered me: 1) the ending, which was kinda cliché (or at least super predictable) and 2) the only asexual character being the one making biphobic comments about how Ryan can't decide if he's straight or gay. I mean, really? Don't get me wrong, I know there are biphobic aces out there, but asexuality is literally more invisible than bisexuality (at least in my experience), so it was really weird to see a character who probably went through the whole asexuality-isn't-real bs being the one erasing bisexuality. It was... bad?

I mean, Ryan even says it, that the ace "should understand" the whole bisexuality being erased thing since the char is ace. And what the character does? Rolls his eyes. Like, what is even the point of this exchange but to make the only asexual character unlikable?

I almost put the book down right in this moment. I'm glad I didn't because the story is good, but this scene takes the cake on being the most unnecessary scene ever.

3.5 stars for Summer Stock.

I could not connect with this book, or the characters. I felt like they weren't fleshed out enough for me to appreciate their story or their romance. It was my first Vanessa North book. I would try another, but this one just left me flat.

This was lovely. Ryan is a fairly famous Hollywood actor who has seen his fair share of the tabloids recently. His manager has sent him home to take a break and stay out of the limelight for awhile. He ends up working for the Shakespeare summer stock company that his cousin owns. While there he meets Trey, a local who is working on the set production. The two men get off to a bad start with each other but quickly realize they're attracted to each other and start dating.

There are a few big issues addressed in this but the author managed to deal with them in a low angst and drama free way. Big props for that. At the end of the day, these were just two average guys who fell in love each other.

I really appreciate this author's ability to write sweet and yet sexy books that keep me engaged the entire time. Her characters always feel like real people who respond to life in ways I can relate to.

This is a definite recommend from me.

**ARC provided by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

I was expecting so much more from this VN tale. This just felt too lite and disconnected for me, sorry.

VN is an author whose works I generally like, to it was a no-brainer to grab this. The blurb sounded like fun and I thought I'd be seeing a less deep, less angsty read from the author.

I got a decent enough tale that comprised of some lite moments, some serious stuff in the theme of abuse, some great friendships and a lite storyline, but it felt as if the leads didn't really gel. I liked them enough, individually, but I couldn't see them as a couple. Not much else I can add, as I wanted a romance primarily from this read, especially with one guy learning about values and RL and the other learning to live and trust again, but didn't quite get that.

ARC courtesy of Riptide Publishing and NetGalley, for my reading pleasure.

Let me share with you what was the greatest aspect of this book, imo. Vanessa North gave us a realistic romance story between two people who are a little bit f’d up in their own way. Two people who make mistakes. Two people who say the wrong things. Two people who are far from perfect. Two people who have an insta-connection that unfolds into something much deeper and meaningful as they live their lives. It was real and it was relatable.

Ryan Hertzog is an actor with a really bad image problem. He comes home to regroup. Trey Donovan is still trying to get past a lot of emotional baggage from his past marriage. Emotional abuse that has now caused him to suffer from anxiety and panic attacks. They meet. They hook up and then BAM, they’re working together …. Fate? Maaaaaaaybe :)

So I REALLY enjoyed reading this story. So much so that I read it twice before today. The first time I read it was about a month ago and it captivated me so much that I felt like I flew by the read. I couldn’t wait to see how these two would turn out. The next time I read it I slowed down a bit and I laughed a lot more and my heart sang through most of their journey. Vanessa did a really great job of mixing a scorching sexy read with a sweet and sentimental journey. These two guys may have started feet first in this journey but there was nothing insta about building their bond. It was beautifully written and very realistic.

Copy provided for blog tour review

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Angie – ☆☆☆☆
I really enjoyed this book. I could feel the connection between Trey and Ryan. This was a sweet story with just a little angst. I will say I was worried that Ryan's best friend, Ali, was going to do something stupid to put Ryan and Trey in jeopardy, but that never happened. The secondary characters are good as well. Sweet love story, steamy sex, and a lovely, huge dog all make for a great fast read.

Ryan is taking a break from the Hollywood social scene and the tabloids by acting in a Shakespeare summer stock production with his cousin Caro and her partner Mason at their small theater. When he goes out one night and hooks up with Trey, he finds out the next morning that he hasn't quite cleared the paparazzi or Trey's big dog.

He runs into Trey again when he finds out that Trey builds the sets for the community theater. The attraction the enjoyed that one night is still there and even though Ryan is warned to stay away from Trey because he's still dealing with PTSD, they both can't ignore the attraction between them.


There's something endearing about both of these young men. Trey's issues are not trivial and he's clearly vulnerable, but Ryan handles him with sensitivity, even when he doesn't even know the whole story. But Ryan is vulnerable too, about his job and his sexuality.

Ryan is also separated from his best friend, Ali. I really enjoyed the fact that Ryan and Ali were good friends. It's not often there's a platonic girl-guy friendship that doesn't turn into something more in a romance novel, so I really enjoyed this friendship and how everything works out for Ali.

There were many things I liked about Summer stock. The characters were all just likeable. And everything builds nicely to that moment when Trey and Ryan need to decide where their relationship goes. I liked the secondary characters, especially Ryan's cousin and her partner Mason. I want a story about them next!

Summer stock captured the feel of summer, sand and season's with expiration dates, like the relationship between Trey and Ryan. Truthfully, I was all-in at the dedication, and I loved Ferdie! The dog was a great addition to the story and a wonderful tribute to Vanessa North's own Hank.

Even though this is a standalone, I'm hoping we will get more stories from this world.
ARC provided for review.