There's something so romantic about summer days and the boy who went away and came back. I love the premise of this novel, yet what I wanted vs what I got is why I think I give this a 3 star. That might just be me and my mood. I wanted a summer romance with a bit of angst, instead, I got angst with a bit of summer romance and I just needed an escape. Though, I might read it again and rethink my rating.

Fourteen Summers is a New Adult/Young Adult LGBTQIA Romance about three college-aged boys named Aiden, Max, and Oliver. Aiden and Max are identical twins who've shared everything- their childhood home, all the big milestones, and even their college apartment. To be honest, they're co-dependent and don't seem to know how to function without each other.

The brothers' relationship has continued on this way, for better or worse, until the summer they rediscover Oliver, a long-lost best friend (who also happens to be Aiden's long-lost childhood crush). When Oliver and Aiden both discover that the other is gay and single, the boys reconnect in a new way, leaving Max a bit out in the cold.

I really liked Fourteen Summers; we get the chance to experience the novel through all three of the boys' perspectives, so we get the sweet (and sometimes bitter) second chance at love through Aiden and Oliver as well as Max's experience as he feels like he's losing both his brother and best friend all at the same time.

I think it's pretty important that we get to see how each of the boys individually feels because their communal relationship is so complicated. Each of them has underlying issues that wind up influencing the way they "problem solve" when it finally becomes obvious that they can't keep going on as they had at the beginning of the summer.

Oliver is kind and sensitive, the child of a broken and argument-filled home. In both Aiden and Max he finds a sense of family and belonging that he desperately lacked as a child and is terrified to lose a second time. Aiden is intelligent and usually sensible, but he's been stuck in his "older" brother's shadow (only five minutes older) for most of his life, and his relationship with Oliver makes him see how cold it can be when you've let yourself stay away from the light. Max is goofy, a bit irresponsible, and devoted to his brother, but he doesn't always see that his devotion might not be benefiting Aiden as much as he thinks it does.

Despite their complications, I genuinely liked them all, and I think that Anderson did an admirable job of giving each of them their own character development. Not only are the boys trying to figure out the overlapping conflicts in their communal relationship, but Aiden's trying to navigate his first romantic and physical relationship with someone else, Oliver is juggling deep-seated family issues, and Max has to realize that he might have abandonment issues.

They're human, and they're real. Even though they're in college, they're still "kids". It's amazing how one's maturity level can entirely disappear when arguing with a sibling; let alone an identical one with whom you've shared the spotlight your entire life. I'm one of four kids, and I've tutored/babysat triplets for the last eleven years; from my own experience, I feel pretty confident saying Anderson nailed that sibling dynamic. I can feel the family chemistry that Max and Aiden are supposed to have.

The relationship between Aiden and Oliver is sweet and desperate, that desperation where two people realize what they want and don't want to wait another minute to have it. Sometimes they're fumbling and awkward, but I think the characters work well with each other. I also like that Anderson writes their intimacy in a responsible way; they're not just frenzied college kids, they're two people who are learning to be partners, who want each other to be safe and comfortable. I think that's the best healthy role model for any readers to have.

Overall, Fourteen Summers was a lot more than I was expecting. I'm going to be honest, I was expecting more fluff, but there was a wonderful substance, and I love being surprised. Not to mention, the ending is adorable and I love the full-circle nature of the story. I really liked the epilogue, and for me, it felt like a perfect ending to the story.

This is my first read of this author. Nice story. Definitely new adult trope but also a bit of second chance romance. Loved the relationship between the brothers and their friend. Epilogue was the perfect bookend to the story.

I would read more by this author in the future.

Identical twins Aiden and Max Kingsman spent their boyhood days playing with their best friend Oliver until his parents finally separated and moved him away which caused a lot of heartache for them all. Fourteen years later they run into each other whilst back home for the summer and their friendship takes off again, particularly with Aiden who was his first crush. Unfortunately this causes friction with Max who feels left out. The arguments escalate as feelings that remained buried over the years emerge. I really enjoyed this story about first love and sibling rivalry. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Childhood friends to lovers? Count me in! I really enjoyed the way Aiden and Oliver had to relearn each other before really starting their relationship. And I loved how realistic the jealousy and hurt Max felt played out, as well as the resulting fallout and rebuilding. It was a very sweet and believable romance and I really enjoyed the little extra at the end.
Also, alternating POVs are my jam and while this felt a bit much going with three characters, it was nice to see all three sides of each relationship: sibling to sibling, friend to friend, and lover to lover.

Review for Netgalley, For me this was 3 Stars and that’s rounded up, the story felt very immature, all these guys were in college yet they acted like 12 year olds. I always like the second chance love & childhoood sweetharts but this one history didn’t work for me. The conflict felt contrived

All right, let's start like we always do by looking at the cover. It's as cute and sweet as the book itself is. As much as you all know I appreciate sexy covers, there is always room for cute and sweet. There's something to be said for a book cover that's appropriate for a morning bus ride.

Now on to the book itself. This story is told from the third person limited perspective of three characters - Aiden and Oliver of course, as well as Max, Aiden's twin brother. To be honest, I'm not sure how I feel about having Max included in this. All three characters are well developed. On one hand, I understand how Max is an important part of both Aiden and Oliver's lives and his perspective added value to the story. On the other hand, it gave a reason for a lot to be left out - what happened between Aiden and Oliver that first night for example. Nonetheless, I fell in love with Aiden and Oliver.

This was a new adult novel. The characters are all 20 years old and trying to find their way as adults. As readers we get to watch their struggle with balancing family obligations and romantic relationships. Oliver had a family I'm sure many can relate to - large and loud with lots of conflict.

I loved the prologue. It took me back to the pretend weddings my friends and I would have as children. It was sweet and set the tone for the entire book.

Fourteen Summers is a beautifully written MM romance. It was very PG, and appropriate for a young adult reader. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a sweet book to keep you company this summer.