I am a member of the American Library Association Reading List Award Committee. This title was suggested for the 2021 list. It was not nominated for the award. The complete list of winners and shortlisted titles is at <a href="https://rusaupdate.org/2021/02/2021-reading-list-years-best-in-genre-fiction-for-adult-readers/">

DNF: I tried to read The Summer Set on three different occasions but I just couldn’t make it past 21%. There are too many characters, all with backstories and things going on. It felt like too much work for a book I wasn’t enjoying. It’s too bad, the premise sounded like it could be really fun.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I loved seeing Charlie deal with having to dip her toe back into the acting world. And over the course of this summer, a lot happens for these characters, dealing with the problems that arise, and it was just so great to read! I have read one of her YA books, and I've always meant to read the sequel, but I'm really glad to have read this book!

From the synopsis, it makes it sound like it's just Charlie's story, that we're focused on her. But she's just one of 4 characters that we follow of the course of this summer-as well as her old flame, Nick, and two of the students that are participating in the program, Sierra and Ethan.

A bit of this book went over my head. Art like actors make, well, I just can't understand it, and being in at least 2, sometimes 3 actors heads-the students were uncertain of how much of a career that they could turn this into-it was just a part that I couldn't connect with. I just don't have similar experiences to root it in my mind, you know? To ground it in my own understanding. 

Man, that ending! It was just so clever, and I really enjoyed how it played out! And that it ended with her wiki page, but updated with everything that happened in this book, and where they're going in the future, well, that was just fantastic!

This was a really great read, and I really enjoyed it!

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

i really enjoyed reading this book, the characters were great and I really enjoyed going on this journey.

The premise of this book was interesting for a fun, summer read. Unfortunately, the tropes and lack of a captivating protagonist weren't for me. It is a decent story but with unappealing characters for me. 
I appreciate the chance to review this but it is made for a different reader.

#TheSummerSet #NetGalley #GraydonHouse #Harlequin

Thank you for letting me read and review this book. Unfortunately this book was not for me. I think I have a case of pandemic reading.

Charlie Savoy was once at the top of her career in acting. Now, she's hit rock bottom. After she ends up in an accident which is all her fault, she is sentenced to community service at the very last place she wants to do it, the place where her career started, The Chamberlin. The Chamberlin holds a summer acting program and it is at this very program where she met and fell in love with Nick Blunt. Now, he's in charge and Charlie for sure is not ready to spend the summer with him, but she has no choice. Once there will she change her mind, or just stay for probation and then be gone?

Thank you to Graydon House/Harper Collins and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I, myself have never been a thespian or really have had no desire to act. For Charlie Savoy, she grew up in that world and it has always been a part of who she was. Her mother was an actor and she easily took to the stage. When she met Nick Blunt, they had an instant connection with their art and their hearts. But Charlie wanted more and she went for it, when Nick kept trying to improve on his one great hit.

This summer is going to be hard on the both of them. Charlie because she doesn't want to be there and Nick because he still has feelings for Charlie.

Overall, I enjoyed this book, but there were times where it got slow. I felt a strong connection to the author as she went to the same high school as my husband and we live in the same area. I will read other books this author writes.

The premise of the book is a really fun one: drama queen actress drives her car into a river and has to serve community service at an ex-lover’s summer Shakespeare theater. Sadly, the main character  seemed immature to the point I couldn’t read, not the authors fault, as the writing was good, I just couldn’t connect.  This book would probably be a lot of fun for bravo tv fans.

I liked this - it was a quick listen for me. It was a cute story about seconds. Charlie’s career as an actress ends after throwing a glass at ex-boyfriend/director Nick (who’s career has also stalled). Ten years later, Charlie is forced into community service at the Chamberlain (a summer Shakespeare theater program) that Nick now runs. It’s also where the met and fell in love. Sparks fly (literally - at one point there are sparks)! Can Charlie and Nick salvage their relationship in order save the theater?

The Summer Set is a lighter, easy read - which is perfect for summer! 

There was a lot going on with all of the characters, so it felt like a bunch of little stories going on at once. It had a very 'soap opera' feel to me, but in a good way. Since there were so many characters, I obviously had my favorites, which were Charlie and Sierra! 

I liked watching Charlie rediscover her passion that she had given up when. She was an interesting character with depth. She had a backbone and was not afraid to use her voice. I also loved how she took Sierra under her wing and mentored her. That relationship was one of my favorites in the story. 

I also enjoyed the friends slow-burn to lovers thing between Sierra and Ethan. That part was written well also.

I was very satisfied with the ending of the book too, I enjoy it when I feel like it all comes full circle and ends with a HEA. 

Thank you to Harlequin and Netgalley for my advance copy that I received in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 stars

I really liked the premise of this novel but it wasn't all that I hoped for it to be for a story that sounded so promising. 

I think my overall issue with this novel was the writing style. There were plenty of opportunities to create a beautiful and somewhat magical atmosphere but the small town came across as bland and the theatre also didn't seem that special. 

Generally I liked the characters but again, due to the writing style, nothing had me truly emotionally invested in any of them or their individual stories. 

It was an okay read but for such a promising plot, I had much higher hopes. 

***Thank you to the publisher for supplying me with an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

The Summer Set by Aimee Agresti was a fun read that kept me captivated. A story of the drama around a summer theater and the actors, which includes currently famous, has-beens and hopefuls all vying for the same roles. Charlie was the it girl until she wasn’t. Now she is back where she started and though she was not  excited about the opportunity, is finding her place among them and Nick, her ex. What I loved most was the interactions and what goes on in the theater itself. Excited to read more from this author! 

Happy reading!

I loved the idea of this concept - big Hollywood star caught in bit of a scandal and has to do "community service" at a small theater working with kids interested in pursuing acting. But not just any theater - one where she has a past, secrets, relationships, and DRAMA - not just the theater kind!

I enjoyed Aimee's last book but found that I had the same troubles in both. SO many characters and story lines to keep track of and I found my self getting lost a lot and forgetting who people were.

BUT ... the characters were all so likeable and fun and I loved the setting of the theater, and small town, and the whole premise of the plot. So it was enjoyable for the most part, Just a bit of a hard time keeping track of everyone! Which I imagine can be hard when a lot of them have BIG personalities (hello, actors!) and a bunch of theater kids as well.

All in all - a fun story and a cute summer read for sure! Also - a GREAT book if you are into theater production and classic plays and productions.

Aimee Agresti's The Summer Set is a delightful summer romp of a book. Charlie returns to the summer theater of her youth in order to perform some community service, but she ends up having the chance to gain more than she ever thought. She's on a downward trajectory, having been a former A-list celebrity. What she finds at her former summer home is a chance to get both her love life and career back on track, but it won't come without challenges. 

I am a bit of a theater nerd, so I enjoyed this take on the summer novel. 

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

I am happy to recommend a wonderfully fun book for your summer beach read titled The Summer Set by Aime Agresti.  The book starts with a deep dive into the waters of Boston Harbor when the main character, Charlie Savoy, a former actress drives her car right into the Harbor.  She is sentenced to community service working for the Chamberlain Summer Theater which is managed by her former husband, Nick Blunt.



Nick is eager to have Charlier on board, even though she is coming unwillingly to the theater. The community theater is losing money hand over fist and he hopes that she can stop the bleed.  The book is full of fun characters, the cast of the theater who are all hoping to get a major part in the play. The book is full of information about what goes on backstage, so those details were very interesting to me, who hasn't performed in this type of production before.

I loved the book, the characters (even ones I didn't mention!)  Read the story to laugh, cry and cheer! 



Q&A with Aimee Agresti

Q: Please give your elevator pitch for The Summer Set.

A: Gladly! THE SUMMER SET is a romp about a former Hollywood It Girl—Charlie Savoy—who flamed out, left the film world and now is almost 40 and back at the summer Shakespeare theater where she got her start as a teen….and where her ex is the artistic director. Drama and hijinks ensue! But it’s really a universal story about old flames, old friends, old rivals and second acts: having the courage to shake up your life!

Q: Which came first: the characters or plot line?

A: They sort of arrived together! This idea has been with me for a long time: I always had Charlie, my main character, and this sense of wanting her to be embarking on a “second act.” I wanted to tell the story of a bold, wild child kind of star who flamed out early and had to start over and figure out what she truly wanted. I always knew this character would be the type who seemed confident to anyone watching but was actually much more vulnerable deep down. Someone who’s acting as much offstage as onstage!

Q: Why do you love Charlie and why should readers root for her?

A: I really loved writing this character: she’s impulsive and aggressive and tough and uncontrollable. But all of her bravado is covering up how out of place she feels, how nervous she is to be back in the theater world after feeling like she failed in her film career. Anyone who has ever tried to act like they had it all together while actually being unsure on the inside (which I think is all of us, right?!) will understand Charlie and feel she’s a kindred spirit.

Q: We can see from your bio that you have written extensively about entertainment topics. Have you ever been involved in theatre yourself? If so, in which capacities? If not, what fascinates you about the theatre world?

A: As anyone who saw me as Miss Jones in Sherwood High School’s 1994 production of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying would know: I am that drama geek who loves theater as much as humanly possible while having no actual talent. ;) I was lucky enough to grow up in a small town with a fantastic theater—the Olney Theatre in Olney, MD—and I volunteered there (offstage!) all through high school. It was an amazing place because the actors were incredible, they were New York-based, and they would come and actually live together at a residence on the theater property. I’ve always had an overactive imagination so I remember wondering what went on there: which ones were friends, which ones weren’t, was anyone hooking up?! I was fascinated. That experience hanging around there definitely sowed the very early seeds of this novel!

Q: Obviously you've interacted with many celebrities. Who were the most fascinating to talk to?

A: Oooh, there were so many fun ones: George Clooney is my all-time favorite (he’s EVERYONE’S favorite!) because he’s just a supernice guy and is that type who seems to always be having a great time. Some more of my favorites who also had that same warm spirit and were so much fun to chat with: Sarah Jessica Parker, Angelina Jolie, Renee Zellweger, Ewan McGregor, Hugh Jackman, Hugh Grant, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, the list goes on!

Q: If you could star in a movie or Broadway show, which one would you choose and why?

A: HA! OMG, I love this question! Since THE SUMMER SET is set at a summer theater, I’ll choose Broadway! Wow, there are just. So. Many! I would love to be Angelica in Hamilton and Mimi in Rent and Roxie in Chicago! I assure you I would be absolutely TERRIBLE in all of these roles but it would be tons of fun!

Q: What was your last 5 star read?

A: I just re-read a favorite--THE LOST VINTAGE by the wonderful Ann Mah! It’s an absolute gem of a novel about love, secrets and drama in French wine country. Beautiful writing, fantastic storytelling and it also satisfies the wanderlust we’re all feeling these days.

Q: What is one thing about publishing you wish someone would have told you?

A: Oh wow, I feel like even five books in, I’m still learning! But I think one thing I never would’ve expected before I published my first novel is that every time a book comes out you feel that HUGE excitement but also that little rush of nerves, like: “OMG this thing that, for years, only lived in my head and on my laptop is now out there!!! Aaaah!” Or maybe that’s just me? ;)

Q: What inspired you to become a writer?

A: A love of reading! My mom is a librarian so I grew up reading everything in sight and I’ve just always loved escaping into books. I went to journalism school and worked in magazines, which I absolutely adored, but I always dreamed of writing novels, so I feel incredibly lucky to get to do this!

Q: What was your journey to get your first book published?

A: Great question! My first novel was ILLUMINATE, the first of my YA Gilded Wings Trilogy. I tend to write the book I most want to read at any given time and I got lucky that when I was in the mood for YA, so were a lot of other people, so that worked out! But I actually wrote another book BEFORE that one—it was a totally different vibe and not YA--that just didn’t hit things right, for whatever reason. I always say that publishing--the fiction world especially--is like falling in love and you need the right person to read the right manuscript on the right day and have the right connection to it in order to get published. I feel very lucky every time a book gets published!

Q: Let’s talk about your writing, what is your writing process like? Do you follow an outline or do you just see where the story leads you?

A: I’m a major outliner! I need to have everything mapped out. I need to know this journey has a destination. I admire writers who can let things unfold as they go—how freeing that must be!—but I’m a planner, it gives me comfort. Although, there are plenty of twists that only present themselves when you’re in the middle of writing so I do always let myself deviate from my outline too, great stuff comes out of that!

Q: Do you share your work along the way or wait until it is complete to have others read?

A: My sister is my beta reader and she is amazing! Sometimes I’ll give her the book as I’m writing it, as I did with THE SUMMER SET, and other times I’ll wait until it’s all finished (like with my previous novel, CAMPAIGN WIDOWS), it mostly depends on how tight the deadline is! She’s incredible and I’m so grateful for her close eye and the time she spends doing this for me. Since she enjoys the same books/films/stories/genres as I do, I know that if there’s something in my novel that isn’t working for her then it’s not going to work for any reader! She’s the best! If you’re reading this: Hi, sis!

Q: What inspired you to write The Summer Set?

A: I’ve always loved the film/TV/theater/music universe. I started out writing for entertainment magazines—Us Weekly, Premiere—and those jobs were incredible and offered me this amazing glimpse into that celebrity world with all of its ups and downs and drama and excitement. I’m an arts girl so I think there’s something magical about the way a great show, whether on stage or screen, can transport you or connect with you or seem to understand you. And I think the people who are able to bring those stories to life are fascinating!

Q: What projects are you currently working on?

A: I’m (slooooowly) at work on the next novel! It’s in those early stages but it’s an idea I’ve had for a long time so I’m excited! Wish me luck!!

Q: What’s your favorite genre?

A: Oooh, that’s tough! I actually will read anything and everything! For me, it just depends on the story. I’m always on board for great writing and the kind of storytelling that keeps me hooked and turning pages!

Q: Who is your favorite author?

A: I could never choose just one! I grew up on the classics (Austen, the Brontes, Hemingway, Salinger, on and on!) and I adore them so much and revisit them often like checking in on old friends! As for contemporary authors, I love Tom Perrotta, Nick Hornby, Emma Straub, Dave Eggers, Elizabeth Gilbert, to name a few! There are so many that I love and admire!

Q: What are your top 3 favorite books of all time

A: Oh man, this is REALLY tough because there are just soooo many. But I’ll go with these:

--Pride and Prejudice: I could read this every day! I’m completely Jane Austen-obsessed so I actually feel that way about all of her books. Even now, I’m thinking: should I choose Emma?! Or Persuasion?! How do you choose?!

--The Catcher in the Rye: I love everything Salinger. But Holden Caulfield was my first literary crush!

--A Moveable Feast: I also love everything Hemingway but I’ll go with this one because I’m pretty sure I belong in Paris in the ‘20s. (Aside from my very bad French.)

Q: How do you decide what kind of journey you want your characters to go on?

A: That’s a fantastic, huge question! Those first flashes I always have of a novel are of the main character in some sort of inner turmoil. So I tend to know the reason I’m going to be telling their story in the first place, but figuring out how to show it all and get from point A to B to C, takes a lot of mapping out!

Q: Would you ever write YA fantasy novels again?

A: I love this question! Absolutely, if the right story sparked! I had so much fun writing the Gilded Wings Trilogy, I miss those characters and still think of them and what adventures they might still be having! And I do miss writing magic and superpowers, it was always exciting to get to dream up those elements. So, you never know, I might just have to get back to that! ;)

A light and enjoyable novel set in the world of theatre, Aimee Agresti’s “The Summer Set” offers a lovely read perfect for the warming weather and Spring sunshine.

With an engaging ensemble of likeable characters, this novel does a superb job rotating through the viewpoints of different main characters and providing a glimpse into life behind the theatre curtain.  Readers are sure to become invested in the relationship between actress Charlie and director Nick as well as the burgeoning romance between theatre apprentices Sierra and Ethan.

At times the plot meanders while also offering some sudden shortcuts to reveal character development.  However, overall, “The Summer Set” is a worthwhile read that offers a great escape to behind the scenes drama of a summer theatre troupe and the dramatic lives of the actors that present the shows we love to watch.

A fun and juicy read that is sparkling and scintillating, Aimee Agresti’s The Summer Set is a fantastic tale about new beginnings, the twisted paths life takes us down and finding the courage to take chances that sizzles with plenty of backstage shenanigans, humor and heart.

Fame can be a very fickle mistress and nobody knows this better than Charlie Savoy. She had once been the girl whose name had been on everyone’s lips and whose face had been on every magazine and tabloid. But those halcyon days of fame and notoriety are long over. Now pushing forty and with her career in the dumpster, Charlie is more likely to feature in the Where Are They Now? column than on the front page. Exiled from the film world, Charlie is looking forward to kickstart a career that is on life support, but the only job she can get is in the Berkshires at the Shakespeare theatre where the artistic director happens to be none other than her ex, Nick.

Charlie is not exactly overjoyed to be back at the place where she had first launched her career. She was meant to be going forwards, not backwards, but a job is a job and Charlie is not exactly in a position to turn down work at the moment, so she grits her teeth, takes several deep breathes, squares her shoulders and launches herself wholly into her latest gig. Much to everyone’s surprise – especially hers!- Charlie begins to get her groove back. She is enjoying the work, bonding with her fellow actors and even finds herself flirting with her ex again. But Charlie should not get too comfortable because fate has got a nasty surprise in store for her in the shape of her nemesis…

The gloves are well and truly off and Charlie must fight with all of her might not to let anyone or anything destroy her fledgling happiness. With everything to play for and everything to lose, Charlie is determined to put on the show of a lifetime and to emerge victorious in the battle for survival and success. Will Charlie’s second chance end up smashed to smithereens? Or will she finally find that elusive happiness which has been missing 
from her life for so long?

I raced through Aimee Agresti’s The Summer Set! Set backstage in the theater world, The Summer Set is a wonderful tale written in a warm and engaging style that grabs readers’ attention from the get go and keeps them entertained, laughing and completely hooked until the last page.

With a delightful cast of characters, behind the scenes mischief, delicious wit and gripping emotional drama, Aimee Agresti’s The Summer Set is a charming page-turner that is a must-read this summer!

I tried reading The Summer Set several times. But I just didn't care. The storyline was annoying to me, and I found I didn't like the characters. IT was a DNF for me.

I enjoyed this book. It was different than what I usually read. It was neat to get an inside look at the theatre.
The characters were okay, but not as well developed or complex as I would of liked. The story was salacoius and surprising at times. I think there was some loose ends left hanging that could of been improved upon. 
A light read that will make you want to go to the Theatre.