Move over Tea House, it’s time for the Tree House.

Annabel Monaghan is back with a new romance novel perfect for a summer read by the pool, or better yet, the beach.

The story of Sam and her Wyatt is told by flipping between the past and current time. Sam grew up spending her summers at her family’s Long Island beach house, conveniently next door to Wyatt’s family. One summer love story, one bad breakup, two separate coasts, and more than a decade later, Sam is now grown up with an office job in the city and a doctor fiancé. She brings her fiancé Jack to visit her family and make wedding plans at the beach house, only to find Wyatt came back from California and has been living next door again. (Oops, her family wasn’t sure if they should tell her that Wyatt is back...) What will happen when Wyatt and Sam see each other again, after not speaking for years? Will their teenage summer love story circle back and start again? What about Jack?

Add in eclectic family members, long walks on the beach, and a backyard tree house… this is a heart-filled novel sure to be enjoyed by contemporary romance readers everywhere, coming in June 2023.

This book was an absolute delight! I loved everything from the beach house details to the poignant look at first love. The perfect summer read.

4 stars :)

so it's hard to be creative with this trope (city girl returns to small beach town she grew up spending summers at). every summer after is one title i can name off the top of my head that same time next summer bears an uncanny resemblance to-- but i know i've read many more because there was a familiar feeling while i was reading. that being said, it's a great trope, the second-chance romance of it all really tugs at the heartstrings and i eat it up every time!

i really like how reasonable the main characters sam and wyatt were and the monaghan's matter-of-fact writing tone that cuts to the chase. i think this book definitely has summer hit potential, similarities to other well-loved contemporary romance books aside, and i really liked sam's self-realizations and how she found freedom by processing trauma and choosing happiness.

though i think monaghan's previous book nora goes off script is more unique plot-wise, this book filled me with similar emotions and i'm so so glad i was given the opportunity to read it. thank you so much to netgalley and putnam for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

I'm such a fan of the author's novel, Nora Goes Off Script, so I was excited to dive into this one! Sweet and charming, with a dreamy summer beach setting, this book was a perfect vacation read. Told in dual timelines, Same Time Next Summer follows a young romance and all of the highs and lows that go along with it. A very satisfying read!

After reading (and loving) Nora Goes Off Script, I was beyond excited to read Annabel Monaghan’s newest book. It was extra amazing to get an ARC through NetGalley and the publisher. I finished the book in one sitting and don’t even mind that I lost a night’s sleep to do it.

Same Time Next Summer was a solid reminder of why I love a well-written second chance romance. Over a decade after being torn apart by heartbreak, Sam and Wyatt find themselves back where they started … and ended. However, even though the setting is the same, our two MCs are very different people than they were all those years ago. With a fiancé that fits right into the buttoned up life Sam has created for herself, she has no room left for Wyatt to work his way back into her once shattered heart. But coming face to face with her past has made her question everything about who she has become. While the story has a lot in common with others in this trope, the dynamics and development of the characters (including the supporting ones) brings a unique feel to this heartfelt love story. Sam’s relationship with family was a highlight of the book for me. (I especially loved Granny!)

While Same Time Next Summer does tackle some heavier relationship issues and complicated family dynamics, it is still light and fun enough to be a feel-good summer beach read (that’s much heavier on the sweet than spicy).

⭐️: 4.5/5

I went in to this book with no expectations, maybe thinking this will be an easy read to pass the time. Little did I know it would spark this nostalgia and yearning for the beach house summers I never had!

That being said, Annabel Monaghan captured the beauty in first loves, true loves, and finding yourself along the way. I have never walked away from a read feeling so warm and connected to the beauty of all of the characters. Sam and Wyatt's friendship is so raw and real that I hope to see more reads like this.

Gah! I can't wait to reread this summer!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️From the publisher:
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. Wyatt is here. Her Wyatt. But there’s no reason for a thirty-year-old engaged woman to feel panicked around the guy who broke her heart when she was seventeen. Right? 

Yet being back at this beach, hearing notes from Wyatt’s guitar float across the night air from next door as if no time has passed—Sam’s memories come flooding back: the feel of Wyatt’s skin on hers, their nights in the treehouse, and the truth behind their split. Sam remembers who she used to be, and as Wyatt reenters her life their connection is as undeniable as it always was. She will have to make a choice.
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My review:
Well, wow. I loved this book more that I thought I would. Sam is busy hiding and being a responsible adult. And that’s all fine, but she’s not entirely happy. Pair that with resurgent feelings about her teenage love and you’ve got a story that pulls at you. I knew where it was going and I loved the ride.

The way that Monaghan changes the narration and point of view was masterful. The chapters in the past were written in third person and the chapters in the present in first person. It took me a little while to realize this was happening and once I did, it made perfect sense. We look back and see what was, but the past is the past. What a person does now is what matters. And the decisions Sam made now, in the present, was what made her “Sam”.

This reminded me of Carly Fortune’s Every Summer After which was possibly my favorite book of 2022. Teenage love, lost love, and the ability to come back together as adults and make it all right.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 stars! Thank you to NetGalley and GP Putnam Sons for an advance digital copy in exchange for my review.

I went into this book blind. I requested it just based on the cover and the title. It was eye catching. I was not let down. It was very engaging from the very beginning. I have looked up the author and added her other titles to my to be read list. I would recommend this rom com to any reader.

The perfect romance/ women's fiction / beach read! I loved everything about this - Wyatt and Sam's relationship and past, the family dynamics and challenges that had to be worked through, and the theme of staying true to yourself and making that a priority.
There are definitely some things that work out way too conveniently and unrealistically, but thats okay because its to be expected in summer romance novels like this and I take it with a grain of salt. No spice, so I think a lot of people can enjoy this at different age levels.
The side characters were great as well - Granny's commentary was the best. I flew through this - its easy and sucks you right in to their cute, quaint, beach town world. The progression of Sam and Jack, and the Wyatt dynamic, was fleshed out nicely and I didn't feel like things were too rushed which can happen sometimes in books like these. I'd also say this has a lot more 'women's fiction' vibes than strictly romance.
Definitely recommend!
Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the advanced copy!

I thoroughly enjoyed this super quick second chance romance. I have a soft spot for this trope and Annabel Monaghan hit the mark.

I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this book. Sam’s character was relatable and likable from the start and her relationships with Jack and with Wyatt were very well crafted. That being said, there were a few things that caught me off guard, at around chapter 4 the writing switched from first person (told solely from Sam’s perspective) to third person, switching between Sam and Wyatt. I realized ( after turning back a few pages) this was because we went into the past.. I was also slightly thrown by the random Wyatt first person chapter we get towards the end, the only other thing I was disappointed with was the completely glossed over intimate scene that had been building for the entire book, All in all though, a solid 3.5 rounded up to 4

Huge thank you Penguin Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC! All opinions expressed are my own. This is the perfect beach read for your next vacation. Definitely add this to your TBR for June (Available June 6th, 2023).

I absolutely loved Monaghan’s last book, Nora Goes Off Script (if you haven’t read it, you should!) so needless to say, I was over the moon to get the opportunity to read Same Time Next Summer.

It was a solid 3.5⭐️ rounded up to 4! I admit, the beginning of the book lagged for me and I found the flashbacks to be a bit too long and tedious. However, I started to adore the story and characters halfway through and I flew through the second half. I’m a sucker for a good second chance love story and I thought Monaghan delivered another solid novel. I can see this being a popular beach read this summer!

Thanks to Penguin Group Putnam & NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC!

Perfect beach read. Hometown friends to lovers trope. I read this in a day, most of which was spent poolside. Very easy read, love the family component. Family with no filters is always comedy. Another romance where people make mistakes, just like real people, but power through forgiveness and love again. I would give this a 3.5 only because it was like a less capital R romantic Notebook. There is one STAND OUT romantic/passionate argument ending with: “Get your *hit together.” I LOVED THIS. This boom shows that real love is hard and messy and complicated and people are broken and people have to apologize, and forgive. Check it out for your next perfect vacay read.

Thank you Penguin Publishing and NetGalley for this advanced copy. Available June 6th, 2023.

Great summer read! I now want to take a tropical vacation. I enjoyed Sam and Wyatt’s story complete with a slew of quirky supporting characters! It was a quick read and a nice slow burn romance.

4.5 stars rounded up. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

PERFECT summer read while you’re at the beach. And if you’re not, you’ll feel like you are. It’s a predictable romance novel, but unlike many other rom coms, there are twists and satisfying reveals. The only part I didn’t like is the pop singer’s name Missy McGee. That character can be named better.

I loved this book so much! I really didn’t know what it was about when I started reading it, but I quickly was obsessed! The characters are well developed, and I couldn’t help but love them all!

The childhood love between Sam-I-Am and Wyatt was swoon worthy. Sam returns home with her fiancé Jack, and TBH he really was such a square. I appreciated the two timelines.


Things I really loved:
The growth and development of Sam and her journey to finding her true self.

I also loved the “I need to know what happened” feeling that I had until I got there. And I audibly gasped and said, “didn’t see that coming”.

It was a quick read. I felt some of it was rushed and had some missed opportunities to develop characters.

However, I still loved every minute of it.


Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5

I couldn’t resist this one after loving Nora Goes Off Script. Sam and Wyatt’s love story had all the things I love about childhood friends to lovers. The wonder, vulnerability, and all consuming nature of first love. My heart broke for them as things fell apart, but their actions and decisions made sense, especially since they were teenagers. The “then” and “now” chapter format helped me understand how Sam could still be so consumed by Wyatt and their break up after 14-ish years (more Wyatt POV chapters would have been great though). Their second chance romance pulled on my heart strings and I was 100% invested in their happily ever after.

I do wish that there hadn’t been (what I feel was) emotional cheating on Sam’s part, but I could see how it could happen given how much was still left unsaid between her and Wyatt. I also felt that things at the end wrapped up too conveniently and easily with Jack and both Sam and Wyatt’s futures, but those things didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the book. Overall, this was a wonderful read about love, family, and being true to your heart.

CW: strained family relationships, divorce, dyslexia, parental infidelity (past), grief, anger, emotional cheating (flirting and light non-sexual touching while the FMC is still engaged)

Tropes: childhood friends to lovers, second chance, forced proximity, epistolary (texts), vacation romance, he falls first, it’s always been you

*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons and NetGalley for the ARC!

I was so excited to read this after loving Annabel Monaghan’s “Nora Goes off Script” and it did not disappoint! So much detail and love in these characters, and it immediately made me want to head to the beach. I feel like this would make the perfect rom com movie and was watching it all play out in my head the entire book!

Thanks to GP Putnam's Sons and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this title prior to publication. I loved Nora Goes Off Script this year, so I was anxious to read Monaghan's new release. When Sam takes her fiance, Jack, to her artsy family's beach house on Long Island, she comes face to face with her first love, Wyatt, next door. She's also in the midst of a work crisis and spends the time in Long Island reassessing all of the parts of her life. I liked this one but did not love it. This trope normally works well for me, but this version left me wanting more from the ending and the characters, and some parts of the plot just did not work well for me. Still, it's a fun, beachy read with well-done representation.

I loved Nora Goes Off Script, so I was super excited to read Same Time Next Summer, and it did not disappoint. The dual POV, dual timeline, and short chapters made for an easy fast paced read. The nostalgic first love timeline combined with the beach setting makes for an excellent summer/beach read. My only complaint is that I felt like Sam’s relationship with Jack dragged on for way too long.

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.