It's official. If Annabel Monaghan writes it, I will read it. I adore her writing style, the cadence of her sentences, the emotion her words bring... Same Time Next Summer is SO good. It's the perfect summertime romance, and I can never get enough second chance with a dual timeline. I loved it from start to finish, and I am already anxiously awaiting the next gem she is sure to bring us!

*thank you Netgalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Same Time Next Summer
Annabel Monaghan
NetGalley
Pub Date: 6/6/23

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I predict that the #1 beach read for 2023 will be Same Time Next Summer by Annabel Monaghan. There is something extraordinary about summer romances. I remember listening to Hot Fun in the Summertime, spending hours at Miami Beach in a yellow bikini (yep, I wore one), and falling in love/lust. We meet Wyatt & Samantha “Sam,” next-door neighbors in their Long Island beachfront havens, spending summers together from the age of 5-17; where their relationship develops until one fateful summer when life throws them a curveball. Their love is consuming, but can it last? Years later, when Sam returns to plan her wedding to her fiancée Jack, she recalls long-buried memories of a broken heart that nearly ruined her life. When Wyatt reappears for the summer…things happen. Is love meant to last? Will she give up stability for the unknown? How can Sam get past the deep hurt she still holds in her heart? Same Time Next Summer is the perfect read for summer or anytime because it reminds us all of first love, first romance, and first everything. Can you put a badly broken heart back together? Can magic be recreated? I LOVED IT and I know you will too. #SameTimeNextSummer @annabelmonaghan @netgalley @putnambooks #gpputnamson’s #love #heartache #comingofage #fate #summer #lovestory #broken #betrayals #summerfiction #LongIsland #pubdate:June6 #romance #beachread
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I received a complimentary copy of this ARC. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Thank you to G.P. Putnam’s Sons, NetGalley, and the author for the opportunity to read this novel. Pub. Date: June 6, 2023.

4/5 stars
0/5 spice

Second chance romance with a swoon worthy musician... yass

Tropes:
Second chance
Childhood friends to lovers
Small town vibes
It was always you
He falls first
FMC self discovery/ character growth
Dual POV
Dual timeline

This was a pleasant surprise for me. I will admit the beginning didn't draw me in until I started to get more flashbacks of the relationship between to MCs. This book has Sweet Home Alabama vibes. Sam reluctantly comes back to her childhood summer home with her fiancée to check out a venue her parents recommended.

Right from the beginning you can tell that Sam is uncomfortable bringing her straight laced and proper fiancée to her parents' summer home, where they are their quirky, eccentric selves and completely unbothered. I adored the descriptions of their home... it was like I was there within all the controlled chaos.

As you read on you catch on to his restrictive Sam is because of her fear of losing herself to her emotions. Which is later revealed because of her big heartbreak from Wyatt. I really appreciated how the author created a relatable and age appropriate conflict. Sam and Wyatt were kids and didn't know how to handle the emotions they were feeling and the weren't mature enough to work through their conflict.

I found myself wanting more of the present day storyline with Wyatt so we could see how these two work together as mature adults. It felt too rushed... especially since Sam was in the midst of rediscovering her true self.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story and the character growth they went through. I highly recommend for fans of second chance romance with a small town vibes. If you loved the movie Sweet Home Alabama then you'll love this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and offered voluntarily.

Trigger/Content warnings:
Infidelity, divorce, grief, depression

4.25 stars out of 5.

This was a great beach read and a real page turner. I really enjoyed both Sam and Wyatt's characters. They really had great chemistry throughout the book and I was so happy with how the book ended. I also really enjoyed Sam's parents, grandparents, and siblings. Jake was kind of annoying to me though. This book was able to capture how amazing young love is and how it can blossom with time. Over, just a feel good book.

Sam is set to marry her fiancé Jake. They take a vacation to the family beach house and are going to look at a wedding venue to satisfy her parents. She arrives at the beach house and unbeknownst to her, her summer boyfriend from childhood, Wyatt, is there. Wyatt's family has a beach house directly next door to Sam's families. Sam feels a little uneasy seeing her old summer fling but why is she having those feelings? Read on to find out how this one ends!

This was my first book by Annabel Monaghan and I was really impressed. I am looking forward to reading more by this author.

Thanks Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 stars. I LOVED THIS BOOK! An absolute delight from start to finish. There are some books that are just great all the way through, and this was one of them. It captured the exact feelings of young love and how amazing and overwhelming it can be. There were a few little twists I did not see coming that really added to the plot. And the payoff at the end was so satisfying. Long live Annabel Monaghan for writing some of the best summer romances… I hope she never stops!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

It pains me to write this because I absolutely LOVED Nora. I thought it was so unique. I wanted to get my hands on anything Ms. Monaghan writes. Unfortunately Same time next summer fell flat. I love me a second change romance but I have this read book before.. many times. My favorites of this trope are love and other words and every summer after. This did not live up tot hat hype. I just did not connect with the MCs. They werent fleshed out enough so it was hard to root for them. The FMC was just so self indulgent and oblivious to what was going on around her. I needed so much more from the flash backs. You're still in love after 14 years of not speaking. but why? how? we never really get to know. A few convos later and BAM shes leaving her fiance for him. I will probably still read more from this author but this was a let down coming off of Nora.

2.5/5

Nora Goes off Script was one of my favorite books I've read this year so I was so excited to get my hands on Same Time Next Summer. This one was another amazing one from Annabel Monaghan with all of my favorite tropes -- first love, small towns, summers at the beach. Reminded me quite a bit of Every Summer After.

Sam visits her family home in Long Island with her fiance Jack to look for the perfect wedding venue. She's surprised to find her first love Wyatt living nearby. While grappling with wedding planning, Sam and Wyatt reconnect, ultimately leaving Sam torn between her past and her present.

This is tender and nostalgic, the perfect beach read.

I liked this one, but it didn't have the same spark for me as Nora Goes Off Script. I really felt for Sam and her epic teenage heartbreak, but it took awhile to understand it and I'm kind of horrified by how all the grown ups in her life managed her "recovery." I liked Sam's evolution and the second chance with Wyatt, but I honestly wish there was no Jack and there was a different vehicle to get her back out to the beach. I don't know, maybe that was the correct journey for her given the "recovery." Mixed feelings on this one, even though I binge-read it and really loved Sam and Wyatt.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC, in exchange for this honest review.

4.25/5⭐️

Sam is a 30-year-old successful woman living in Manhattan, planning her wedding near her childhood beach home on Long Island. But when she and her fiancé travel home to finalize details, she comes face-to-face with her childhood best friend and first love, Wyatt, who broke her heart and left her despondent at 17 and now lives in CA. As she begins to relax at the beach with her family and feel more herself, she begins questioning her decisions in life and what exactly happened to cause Wyatt’s loss.

I enjoyed this book. It had likable characters (although I did get a bit disgruntled with Sam occasionally), a good mix of past/present storylines and a good look at how we sometimes need to take a step back and make sure we recognize ourselves, both as we are and how we want to be.

Sweet with just the right amount of depth and angst.

My sincere thanks to the author, NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for providing the free early arc of Same Time Next Summer for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

“If you’ve loved someone your whole life, it kind of makes sense that you’d love them forever.”
This is a childhood friends to lovers, second chance romance, that puts you on an emotional rollercoaster. This book takes us from the beginning of Wyatt and Sam’s relationship meeting each other at their summer house and becoming friends. We experience them falling in love with each other while also figuring out what happened to them to be where they are now. We get a lot of “then” and “now” chapters and moments that really help the story flow and dual POVs that are perfectly placed. Wyatt and Sam have that kind of love that makes two people naturally gravitate towards each other. I personally really enjoy the “my first love” stories, and this one is up there on my favorites shelf in that category. I am a “first love” gal so they hold a special place in my heart. This is 100% going to be the perfect beach read this summer. It is a feel-good romance that keeps you invested in the relationship and the characters.

I love this author and her latest does not disappoint. While her debut was one of my favorite books of the year, this is softer and more nostalgic. I love how she describes feelings and paints the scene -- it is almost unmatched and made me long for summer days at the beach. Definitely recommend and this will be your perfect beach/summer read. I know that I will looking forward to this author's books every year now just like I do with Elin Hilderbrand, etc.

Same Time Next Summer comes out next week on June 6, 2023, and you can purchase HERE!

Her skin felt so soft against his that she wondered if it had been changed somehow, as if the cells of his body interacted with hers to create a whole other thing.

This is perfect for fans of Every Summer After - similar vibes/relationship. A great beach read that I couldnt put down!!

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

A sweet, nostalgic summer read. Sam & Wyatt’s summers together in childhood, their high school breakup, and then their reconnection as adults all made me smile.

I’ve never spent a summer at the beach, but I’ve read / watched enough stories set there that this felt comfortingly familiar.

I enjoyed the beach vibes & second chance romance. Sam’s struggle between her life with Jack and what was & could have been with Wyatt was tough for me. I’m not sure I 100% agree with the path she chose, but at the same time I get it. This book is a perfect summer read!

Summer beach house • Small beach town • Friends to lovers • Dual POV • Now & then timeline • Every Summer After vibes

Need a beach read for your long weekends or summer trips? Absolutely add this to the list.

This was my first Annabel Monaghan read and I really loved it. It was short, sweet, and gave me all the butterflies! I'm an absolute SUCKER for the tropes in this book (see below) and they're all so beautifully woven together in this story. It also brought back all the childhood memories of family vacations and first love!

The main reason this is getting 4 Stars? I wish it were longer! Part of me liked that it was a short, quick summer read, but I also would have loved some extra pages to dive into this story more. I LOVED the side characters and wanted more of them. I also felt Sam and Wyatt's reconciliation/the ending was a bit rushed. I would have loved a little more between them.

Read If You Like:
-Childhood Friends to Lovers
-Second-Chance Romance
-Now/Then Timeline
-Beach House Setting
-First Love
-Soul-Searching

Thank you to G.P. Putnam's Sons, BookSparks, and NetGalley for the gifted copy and eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I loved Monaghan's previous book Nora Goes Off Script. However, I felt like this one hits the sophomore slump. I feel like it's the same exact book as Meet Me at the Lake.

Another great one from Annabel Monaghan! I loved "Nora Goes Off Script," and was so excited to receive an ARC of her latest.

This was so nostalgic, and had that perfect summer feeling. I loved how the story switched between past and present, and it was so easy to fall in love with Wyatt. It was a little tricky to read about Sam's character development and not feel like it was entirely about Wyatt, but I do think that the plot/development beyond Sam/Wyatt's romance was there!

This was a book about your first love, and soulmates, and the beach and the magical energy around the summertime when you're young. I really liked the concepts of growing up, but maintaining childhood joys and splendor. Just because we get older doesn't mean we can't enjoy what we enjoyed when we were kids anymore. It was a great story!

Same Time Next Summer unfortunately had none of the magical little bits that Nora had.

Summary
Sam’s life is on track. She has the perfect doctor fiancé, Jack (his strict routines are a good thing, really), a great job in Manhattan (unless they fire her), and is about to tour a wedding venue near her family’s Long Island beach house. Everything should go to plan, yet the minute she arrives, Sam senses something is off...

I don't know if the comparison to Nora hurt this one for me, I don't know if I've just read too many second chance romances lately but whatever the case, reading Same Time Next Summer was a pretty big let down. Sam and her current relationship had zero chemistry and even the chemistry between Sam and her teenage love interest didn't pick up until way too far into the book.

I'm not going to post this review to my Instagram because I'm not sure it was solely the book or more a "me problem."

Tagline: Don’t forget to pop this gem into your beach bag this summer!

Full review to come on FreshFiction.com.

Thank you to the author, Putnam Books and Netgalley for sending me this ARC in exchange for my honest review…official release day is June 6, 2023.

I absolutely loved and adored Nora Goes Off Script and was so excited when I learned that the same author had a new book coming out just in time for summer. @annabelmonaghan how did you conjure up the tea house in Nora (which I still dream about) and then decide to give us more in this book with a beach front tree house, which also has amazing sunset views, AND the linden tree at the cove with all of the beautiful shells!? Who makes paper out of driftwood? You’re a literary magician and I am so happy I have discovered your magical books. You make me smile the entire time I am lost in your stories. Thank you so much for this little treasure!

I absolutely loved how you described the clutter and “chaos” of this happy little Long Island beach house….how “chaos in the cluttered beach house looks happy"! I fell in love with this family and hope you come out with a sequel to this story line ASAP. Granny and Gramps may have been my favorite characters and they were hilarious! I love how grandparents are like children in that they too are little observers. Just like children, they’re sponges taking it all in and then BAM, they hit you with the greatest advice you’re ever going to get because their insight comes from their life experiences….and they were right all along! Being born and raised in Florida, I couldn’t agree more when you said that the people in California are staring at a beach "that is facing the wrong way!"

If you loved the movie Sweet Home Alabama, and the books Love and Other Words AND Every Summer After, then don’t even think about it and pre-order this book NOW so that you can have it just in time to pack for your summer travels.

5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me ❤️