I need to know if the red barn with the pier where the three kids met is ACTUALLY called the motif or if it was just a place holder in the unfinished copy???

*shoutout to NetGalley for the free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*

Imma need to sit on this one for a hot minute but I know I liked it. It gave back to the future meets summer of salt. There was some great magical realism involved but I won’t say where because I don’t want to spoil anything.

Def on the younger end of YA, didn’t love how the mother was kind of flighty and left Anna to care for herself, and there was a weird amount of period talk.

I’ll have a release day review up on my YouTube channel on June 28!!

The right book at the right time can change your life." To me this is one of the best quotes in the whole book and resonated with me. I love when books have books at the center of the plot, and this book was based around so many great books. I loved the adorable chapter headings.

At 14 we all feel like everything is changing, but in reality so much in Anna's life was actually changing. Her parents separation, spending a summer in a whole new place, and issues with friends. The fact that where she summered was so close to where I live, and I've gone to the beach that she went to made me really connect to the story. Seeing it from her perspective was wonderful. The descriptions of the town were so lovely.

To me this author is known for amazing magical realism story telling, I for sure was not disappointed with this one. This was a very realistic coming of age story, until the big twist. Also all the talk about the comet was so fun.

I struggled getting into this book. I think I was about a quarter of the way through when I started to get into it and then about halfway when I couldn’t stop.

This is a great coming of age book and being in a transitional point in my life, I felt like it was a great time to read it. There were definitely parts I wasn’t expecting and when I started putting things together things just clicked for me! I was addicted.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I definitely plan on checking out any more she’s written!

Anna is fourteen, which is better than unlucky thirteen...but just barely. On the outs with her best friend and a year after her parents announced their separation, Anna's mother, Miriam, moves her from the West Coast to the East Coast for a summer after the death of her aunt. It is the summer of the Kit-Hale comet, the same comet that was in the sky 28 years before, when Anna's parents met and fell in love. Can there possibly be magic in the cosmos? When Anna meets Emmy and Beck she starts to dive into her personal issues and failings while also realizing that more is happening than she is aware of.

When the author began emphasizing the comet and the correlation to the summer Miriam was 14 I started getting suspicious that there was going to be some magical realism in the book, so I was not surprised when the revelation happened. I wasn't disappointed in that because this is a YA book and (as an adult) I should have figured it out before the big reveal. Anna is a normal kid dealing with the crappy things that happen, but I loved the extra elements throw in of her parents' passion projects, book lovers, and the accurate descriptions of summers on the East Coast. This book's pacing was appropriate and never felt too slow or draggy, which was great. I'm giving it a three star rating because it was good, but I wasn't completely wow'ed by anything. I think this would be great for teenagers trying to find their place - dealing with friendship issues, divorce, or confidence issues.

Sometime in Summer is a YA Magical Realism that pretty much blew me away. Magical Realism usually isn’t my thing at all, but this book did good work to make me enjoy it.

This is a love letter to books and the books that change your life.

Anna is going through some bad luck. Her parents are getting a divorce, her mom’s bookstore is closing, and she lost a friendship. Anna and her mother spend the summer away from LA and head to an East Coast town that her mom used to spend summers in as a kid.

I was nervous going in because of the genre and also the age range is not something I read often. This book did really well holding itself up. I was intrigued with the story, I was never bored.

I think my main complaint was her continuous use of referring to her mom by her actual name. I could understand for plot reasons bringing it up a few times, but when she keeps saying Miriam and Dad it would make me confused or annoyed. Other than that this was a cute read and the themes are ones younger readers will be grateful for.

4 stars

Don’t read the spoilers.

Trust me. I wouldn’t emphasize that unless it really mattered. This is one of those rare books that you need to experience before someone tells you what to expect. I was gifted that opportunity and really want you to have the same chance.

In Sometime in Summer, Katrina Leno has crafted a story about love in its many forms. The first person narrator, Anna Lucia Bell, is 14 years old and trying to figure out her place in the world.

Anna and her mom are staying in Rockport for the summer. Anna’s making new friends on the east coast and puzzling over changing relationships on the west coast. She’s also facing an uncertain future as her parents separate and her mom decides to sell the beloved family business.

Leno has achieved a masterpiece in pacing, character development, and story arc. I was hooked from the first page. The writing is pristine. The characters are believable. The pining is sweet and melancholy and lovely.

Do yourself a favor and read this book.
I received a digital ARC through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

A sweet and thoughtful YA/Middle Grade book that will appeal to lots of readers. Anna's story pulled me right back into the chaos, confusion, and joy of being 14. This is a book that captures the complexities of the people we love, and the joys of a small-town beachside summer. I really enjoyed it.

A Ya rom com in which a girl Anna blames everything that goes wrong in her life on bad luck. While I think teens will love this one I am reminded again by reading this one why I don't read YA Rom Com's or conteparies anymore. I don't relate to the characters anymore. But to be honest I didn't relate to a lot of YA heroines in YA fiction when I was a teen. But this is a cute quick read for teens for the summer.
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I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

Finding out that your parents are getting divorced is one thing, but when your mother announces that the family book store is being sold, and you're going away to the East Coast for 2 months during summer, is not the best way to start your birthday. Anna has always believed in luck, and though that 13 was the worst year, but from the get go on her fourteenth birthday, she thinks she's in for worse. But arriving in Rockport hasn't been too bad, nor has making friends with Emmy and Beck either. However, not all is as it appears, and the comet flying overhead may not be the only magical element to her summer.

When I requested this book, I thought it would be a nice summer read, and didn't really expect much more. Well, I was in for a shock. Sometime in Summer was such a quick read, and from the minute we meet Anna, it's clear that she's someone you can't help but like. Okay, she holds grudges a little, but you want to know about her, and learn the truth about what's happening. She can't believe her parents have separated, and are getting divorced, and wishes that they could love each other forever. But wishing on her moonstone ring, under the comet, may have released some magic, and she finds summer is not what she expected at all. I really liked her growth across the book, as she realises that what she might want, is not what everyone else does, and though she sees some situations in one way, it's not always black and white. I guessed the truth behind the 'mystery' quite early on, but it was still enjoyable, and this is a book I can definitely see teens loving this summer! All in all, a really decent YA contemporary read.

dnf @ 20%

This is lower YA, which I was unaware of beforehand. Of course, that's not necessarily a bad thing but lower YA doesn't really appeal to me, so this is really a "it's not you, it's me" type of dnf. This book also felt like the kind of book that meanders without much of a plot, and I'm really not in the mood for that right now (but again, this is a personal issue and not anything against the book). I will say that it was confusing how the protagonist refers to her mother as both "my mom" and "Miriam" in the same paragraph, which made me think they were separate people at first.

Another magical book by Katrina Leno🌊🐚💫 Solid 4 ⭐️!

Story follows Anna who is convinced she has bad luck due to a fight with her best friend, their family book store closing and her parents, who she thinks are perfect for one another, getting divorced. Anna and her Mom, Miriam, go to Rockport for the summer. Things start to change when a comet makes its first appearance in the town after 20 years 💫

Things to Note/Things I liked
-Feels more like a middle grade book, young side of YA.
-First half was slowish, picked up at the reveal at the half way point!
-The setting was it’s own character! Loved the whimsical seaside town and Anna’s night walks to see Emmy and Beck.
-Reminded me of Leno’s previous book, Everything All at Once, which I also adored!
-Anna’s parents are gems 💎 Miriam + Everett are wonderful co-parents and have dreamlike personalities.
-True coming of age-loved how Anna owns her flaws and mistakes and makes amends.
-MAGICAL REALISM!!! That’s all. 🌙

“…love changed. Love evolved and morphed and shifted and grew, and sometimes, after a few decades, it didn’t look quite the same as it looked on a quiet, warm night, in a soft, sleepy town, in an empty playground, on an unmoving merry-go-round.”

Thank you to NetGalley + the publisher for the ARC! 🤍

Sometime in Summer is a love letter to books, summer nights, and friendship.

Katrina Leno hasn't let me down. I've been following her works since I fell so in love with "You Must Not Miss" and I was so honored to receive an arc of Sometime in Summer.

This book is about Anna who is dealing with bad luck - her parents divorce, her mom's book store closing, the end of a friendship, and never being able to find a book she likes. Anna and her mom for the summer go to the cottage her mom spent summer's in as a child and Anna starts to realize a lot of things - about life, love, friendship, and literature.

The age demographic for this story is a lot younger than I normally read, but being a fan of Leno's writing I knew I needed to pick it up. There is something so perfect about the way she writes, it fits the way my brain things that I just fly threw her work not even realizing I've spent hours reading. It's smooth and poetic, but realistic and natural.

Beyond the good writing you have a great cast of characters here. Anna really grows as a character and I think she is the perfect protagonist for a young teen who might be struggling with some of the same things. Her parents were so loving and kind, yet well rounded making them great additions to her story.

I really enjoyed my read of this. It combined the perfect amounts of ya summer fiction with magical realism. Leno's use of metaphors and imagery really adds to everything feeling so wonderful.

Thanks to Netgalley and Little Brown Books for Young Readers for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the emotional and internal journey we went through with the Anna. I didn't connect any dots until it was spelled out for us but I thoroughly enjoyed looking back to all the clues and crumbs that were sprinkled about the story. It was a really fun way to hear a story at a time in our lives we where everything was weird and different.

This book is pure magic! YA fiction gold!

This story incorporates pretty much every element I love in YA fiction. A strong tenacious female main character, summertime in an oceanfront town, new friendships, old friendships, family dynamics, love, finding yourself. And there are some amazing surprises along the way. I don’t want to give too much away because you should go discover it for yourself!

Leno’s writing is lovely, details on point, she weaves all the elements of the plot together so brilliantly and effortlessly, she never misses the mark. This story is also a love letter to books. So many amazing books and authors are mentioned throughout it.

I can’t say enough good things about this book. Once I started reading this book, I couldn’t stop. Leno created a world I wanted to live in with characters I love with my whole heart. I never wanted this book to end and was sad when it did.

This one is special. It resonated with me on such a deep personal level. I felt so much magic, wonder and hope. Ever so often, a book comes along that awakens something in you and this one did! It truly touched the depths of my soul.

No hesitation giving this 5 stars. Thank you so much to Netgalley, Little Brown Books and especially Katrina Leno. It was an honor and a pleasure to read!

One of my favorite things about Katrina Leno's books is her writing. She is honestly one of the best writers I have ever read from. There are so many quotable moments. This book is an annotator's dream. Her writing makes you feel so melancholy reading. I think this story will be very important for several people. I could see the merits of the lessons it was teaching. However, I know I was not the audience for this. There is a big plot of divorce in this story, and I think it would be a great read if you are a child of divorce. Because I am not, I could not relate to everything the character was going through. There were aspects of Anna Lucia's personality that I could really relate to. If I had read this book several years ago I think it would have opened my eyes to things I needed to change in my own life.

I also love how Katrina Leno seamlessly weaves magic into her stories. It makes the magic seem so believable and real. The setting of this story is also so fun. I love reading about small beach towns. Stories like this make me feel like I love summer, despite hating it.

Overall, it missed the 5 star mark for me, but I can definitely see where it would benefit so many people to read a story like this.

Something about Katrina Leno's books always leaves me feeling so safe and taken care of, and this one was no exception. This is such a heartfelt and warm story with the elements of light fantasy she does so well. I think this is one of those rare books that sits somewhere between middle grade and young adult and straddles the line perfectly, and readers will find lessons about change and growing up that feel so genuine and well-delivered. I would recommend this story to readers who like books with strong family dynamics, cozy settings, and fantasy woven into primarily realistic plots.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.