I read the author’s previous novel, 𝘕𝘰𝘳𝘢 𝘎𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘖𝘧𝘧 𝘚𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘱𝘵 and loved it so much that I decided to read this book, even though it features a little twist in this second-chance trope I’m not fond of. This book centers around 𝗦𝗮𝗺 visiting her family’s beach house with her fiancé to check for possible wedding venues. As luck would have it, her childhood friend and ex-boyfriend 𝗪𝘆𝗮𝘁𝘁, who lived next door to their house, was also in town. She suddenly finds herself at a midpoint as her past and present collide, not only the memories but her personality.

It’s really due to Annabel Monaghan’s writing that made this book an enjoyable read for me. You can’t help but empathize with the characters in this book - the main characters and the people they love. It’s written with a good balance of wistfulness and humor. With the dual POV set up of the book, we can commiserate more with Sam and Wyatt, their feelings, and how they act, especially given their ages before they fell apart. This second-chance romance book works for me because of how their relationship ended. It made sense that they acted the way they did. Though during the period of moving forward, I did wish Wyatt’s activities were explored just as deeply as Sam’s. I really like Sam’s family and how they interacted. The way the story delved into Sam’s relationship with each of her family members is one of the reasons why I love this book. The same can be said for Wyatt with Sam’s family. That’s why the ending of this book is so satisfying for me.

Great beach read!!

Sam returns to her family's beach house for a short trip with her fiance, Alex. You know right away that there was something between her and Wyatt, the "boy next door". As the story slowly unfolds with what came between them many years ago, you feel connected with the characters. I was afraid that the storyline would be something cliche or unbelievable, but it totally wasn't and I felt that the author did a good job showing the progression of Sam's feelings over the years. Until the reveal of what came between them, you are left guessing which was part of the great pacing of the book.

I really enjoyed this book. I liked the characters, I enjoyed the feelings evoked by being at the beach. I even enjoyed the dual-timeline. Highly recommend for a beach read this summer.

I received an ARC of this book as a reviewer for NetGalley. #sponsored

This was a great, well-paced, summer romance read!

Sam is busy planning her wedding and searching for venues with Jack, her strait-laced and predictable fiancé. They decide to take a short trip to the beach house where her family spends their summers. Shortly after arriving she finds out that the neighbor, Wyatt, is also in town. There’s a reason Sam hasn’t returned to the beach for the summer until now and if she’s going to stay, she will have to confront her past, in the form of her dear neighbor. For Sam, Wyatt was the once in a lifetime love, the one that felt like they were inexplicably a part of you. But that kind of love comes with risk. It changes you.

The nostalgia of first love and young summer romance was addicting. Hopping between the past and the present we learn about Sam and Wyatt and their deep connection. We also get to see where the years have taken them into their adult life and watch as they try to avoid confronting the past and the gravitational pull towards one another. I loved the character development from all the main and side characters here. It took time to create and was easy to believe. I highly recommend this book for a great summer romance read and for lovers of second chance romance!

Thank you, @netgalley @penguinrandomhouse and @putnambooks , for the eARC!

I posted this review to my Bookstagram, Goodreads, Bookbub, and Amazon all on 6/21/23. See the links provided below.

Sam loves her eclectic parents but her fiancé Jack can only tolerate their “artsy fartsy” ways in small doses. As artists/teachers they live in Manhattan and spend summers at their longtime Long Island beach house. Sam cherished her idyllic summers spent there when she was a kid. Back then, as the youngest of the group she was shy and often on her own until she met the boy next door, Wyatt. His family also summered at the beach and the two became inseparable. As the years passed Sam and Wyatt fell in love. First time romance can be hard on the heart, especially when it ends without closure. Over a decade later Sam and Jack venture out to the beach house searching for the perfect wedding venue. With their lives and schedules perfectly organized, Sam and Jack are rather rigid compared to beach life and hippie habits of mom and dad. Already nervous about the outcome, Sam is shocked when she hears guitar music coming from next door. After all these years Wyatt is back. She never imagined seeing him again after he moved to California. She never thought her heart would beat so loudly. Maybe she needs closure to go forward with the wedding. Maybe she still has feelings for her first love. As Sam painstakingly selects every detail for her wedding, the real question haunts her - is she marrying the right guy. This read is quick and fun. It does not have the sharp wit of Nora Goes Off Script but its a solid, sweet beach read.

This is the beach read of the summer. It took everything I love about this subgenre of romance books and elevated it. I'm a sucker for twists that the reader sees coming but is unknown to our protagonist, and this book does it in a way that is just lovely. I enjoyed the way that the cliches in this book were dissected and put back together in a way to make them feel new and fresh, as if this was the first time this trope had ever been done. Although the premise feels close to Carley Fortune's Every Summer After, I like this book much much more. The Inevitable Very Bad No Good Thing was entirely understandable and forgivable, which was my main gripe with Fortune's book. This book will definitely get a re-read again this summer- I find myself still thinking about it.

*Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for an ARC of this book*

I LOVED this book. It was a quick read but was filled with so much good stuff. I loved how we got to watch Sam figure out what she truly wanted in life. I feel like that part of this book was so special. I literally couldn't stand her fiancé so it's safe to say I was pumped when she finally gave him the boot. And WYATT. Ugh imagine going on vacation every summer with him there?? I would never want to leave. He is so swoony & I just love how he made sure to get back into Sam's life. Their story is so special and I absolutely loved it!

I really enjoyed Nora Goes Off Script, so I jumped at the chance to get my hands on Annabel Monaghan’s sophomore book and it certainly did not disappoint. Second chance romance is such a fun trope, and I especially enjoyed the theme unfold as we watch Sam and Wyatt reconnect. The summer beach house setting was perfection and Sam’s family provided a refreshing breath of fresh air. This was such a delightful read and will lend itself as the perfect beach bag accessory for an afternoon in the sun.

Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam, NetGalley, and Annabel Monaghan for an advance copy of this book.

I knew where this one was going, but that didn't take away from my enjoyment of it! This was a great pool book, and I am so happy with how the story went. Loved (and hated some) of the characters.. Monaghan has now become an automatic to-read author for me when I want something light, yet well-written.

I absolutely adored Same Time Next Summer. It was sweet and it was well written. The author really pulled me in from the first pages with foreshadowing and curiosity.

I enjoyed how the story was laid out, teasing the information out and it wasn’t all front loaded and overwhelming at the beginning of the story.

The characters were great. They felt like real people and while I never personally had a summer home in Long Island, I felt like I did while reading! I love how the characters were flawed and real. There weren’t any real villainous intentions, just humans acting like flawed humans.

My only complaint is that I wanted more! Yes there was a resolution, but I definitely would have loved to hear more. We can draw some pretty clear conclusions about what will be happening in the future, but would have loved some more concrete resolution, as it felt like it ended prematurely.

This was fine... I adored Nora and unfortunately I think this was a bit of a sophomore slump. It was ok, but nothing compared to the swooniness of Nora.

Annabel Monaghan is a must read author and I seriously want her and her books to get allllll the hype!

4/5

I keep seeing people compare this book to Every Summer After or Love and Other Words. While this book gives off the same vibes it is not the same story/plot of those books and I think that's important to note!

Sam has spent her childhood summers at her parents' beach house on Long Island. She's now all grown up and engaged and doesn't like to return to the house or beach anymore. She's different than she was when she was young and has chosen to grow up into a very buttoned up adult. This summer she is taking her fiance to see her family's beach house for a summer weekend and she is nervous. When they arrive she finds out her childhood love is staying at his house next door. This brings up old feelings and Sam starts to return to her prior more laid back self as the summer goes on.

Every time I guessed how this book was going to go I was wrong. It completely took me by surprise, and I really enjoyed it! It's a dual POV and has flashbacks. I thought it was so well written. You really did feel like you were 12, 15, or 30 at the beach or feeling the ocean around you. I just loved the nostalgia it gave. I also have to mention the character growth! Both Sam and Wyatt really had a great arc.

I was hoping this book would live up to Monaghan's last book, Nora Goes Off Script, and it completely did. Second chance romance is one of my favorite themes and Sam and Wyatt's story is a great example. This story was full of emotion and a very realistic relationship development timeline (I can struggle to connect with a story when that aspect is rushed). The summer beach house setting lends itself perfectly to the wistful feeling of the book and I couldn't wait to see how everything came together. This book will make for perfect summer reading and ideal for a vacation. Thank you to Annabel Monaghan, NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Ugh, I loved this book. It made me feel all of the feelings. I really really enjoyed Nora Goes Off Script and recommend to everyone I know who asks me for a romance rec, and now I'll be recommending this book as well. Watching Sam and Wyatt grow up and fall in love was such a delight, and their feelings felt so real. The setting of the beach was perfect, I could practically hear the waves rolling in as a I read. Annabel Monaghan really nailed the descriptions of everything without getting too flowery or taking away from the plot, which I feel happens often. Also I loved Sam's family so much. Sometimes I find that books that try to talk about other family members can get a little confusing, but each character had such a distinct personality in this book that it was easy to keep everyone straight. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for this ARC!

Sam has her life figured out. After a massive heartbreak as a teenager she has learned to lock things down & live a predictable life. She has a stable job (well, she might have just lost it...) and a sturdy fiance named Jack. She has a predictable routine. Life is good. Until she & Jack decide to visit her family's beach house on Long Island to visit a possible wedding venue. It turns out that Wyatt, her childhood neighbor, her first love, & source of much heartbreak, is back for the summer as well. As so many memories come flooding back Sam starts to remember who she used to be.

Same Time Next Summer is a classic beach read that had me reflecting on my own teenage relationships. I really enjoyed the characters & the family dynamics at play. The idyllic summer beach setting made me long for a place of my own to visit every summer with my own family. As we learned more about Sam's relationship with Wyatt over the course of the book we find out what was good & what went wrong. This book is a nostalgic read about summer love, complicated family dynamics, and how we protect ourselves from being hurt again.

*Spoiler* My primary complaint about this book is just how quickly this story wrapped up. I really wish Sam had taken some time to do some do therapy & work on herself first before jumping right back into things.

Thank you to the author, the publisher & Netgalley for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Putnam for the gifted e-book ❤️ #gifted. My review is comprised of my honest thoughts.

Read if you like: Second chances, friends to lovers, past and present timelines

This is a good Summer read. It reminds me of Every Summer After and Love & Other Words. The first half of book was far too slow for me. The characters weren't what I expected. I didn't love the MC, Sam or Jack. I liked Wyatt but he was almost too perfect. Sam's family was very amusing. I loved the scenery descriptions. There were a lot of good parts to this book and many that lost me. I do recommend it!

I felt like this was a good twist on a past to present love story. I tried to imagine watching it as a movie where you’d be rooting for her to breakup with the fiancé, because as I was reading it felt unfair to him to be dragged to the beach and kind of left out in the way he was…no matter how dull he was! The story comes together but felt like a very abrupt ending. I was reading as well as listening my way through this and when it was the end of the audio, I really couldn’t believe it had just ended!

Thank you Net Galley, Penguin Random House Audio, & Putnam Books for an advanced copy of this book.

The main character was kind of going through a third life crisis, reevaluating her life and where she’s at. Definitely a nice second chance story, with some growth of the main character, but overall she was a bit annoying to me. Her fiancé was also not a fun character to read about

I loved this story, it was a great take on a second chance romance, that honestly was written so well, diving back and forth between the present and the past.

Sam, her I could completely empathize with. Her heartache, her reasons for settling for a guy like Jack, and most of all an avoidance for a place that holds so many wonderful memories that it hurts so bad.

Wyatt, now here is a guy with more secrets than a spy. But his reasons for many of them are honorable, even if it doesnt seem that way to Sam.

They reconnected in such an organic way inspite of the obstacles between them. This is a first love that never died, but due to circumstance needed to be paused a while!

Sam's family is so brilliant and warm and welcoming - I loved them. Jack is a tool!

Sam’s life is going according to plan - almost. She’s set to marry her fiancé Jack in just a few months (but the wedding isn’t planned), she loves her job (but she might get fired), and she’s on her way to the beach for a weekend at her family’s summer house (where she experienced a painful teenage breakup that she never really got closure with). Sam is nervous so show Jack this lighter side of her family at the beach, and things are made even more awkward when she finds out that her first love, Wyatt, is staying next door at his family’s home at the same time. Sam feels as though she’s transported back in time the minute she sees him - will she be able to navigate both sides of herself and keep it all together?

This is the second novel I’ve read from this author, and I really enjoyed them both. I think I had a lot more in common with Nora in Nora Goes Off Script, so that one edged STNS out a little bit, but I would absolutely recommend this for anyone looking for a sweet beach read. It’s short, but I feel like it’s ended really well - not tied up too tightly but not lacking anything at the same time. I also really liked that we had dual POV between Sam and Wyatt, as well as a dual timeline. This is a great read to kick off summer!

Thank you to Netgalley, G.P. Putnam, and the author for my e-arc!

This was a quick and fun beach read. Sam and Wyatt had a horrid breakup as teens and Sam has since avoided her favorite place, the beach and her family’s beach house. She returns with her fiancé and runs into Wyatt. The book was quick, but I didn’t feel a huge pull into the story or the characters.