Thanks to a responsible depiction of severe dyslexia and well-developed emotional growth between characters, This story feels real and was a delight to read.

What a great story! Ben is a sweetheart!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I have to admit I really know nothing about dyslexia. I was very interested in how the author intended to blend that into the story and I appreciate the note at the front of the book about the changes that you will see in the print and ebook. I think it’s fabulous that she is calling out issues and making a change!

With that said, this book was a true delight to read. All of the characters are warm and funny. We really get a glimpse into the psyche and impact someone with dyslexia experiences in society today.

The author wove this sensitive topic beautifully into the rest of the story. The story and plot are about building connections with family. It’s about growing and becoming who you truly are meant to be. And it’s about taking risks when you have the right support.

From the moment Bennett was introduced I just fell in love with his character. He is sweet, warm, and endearing, and they balance each other perfectly. He’s so kind and has some big emotions as well. And there’s nothing better than the scenes that involve reading “their” book.

While Summer Reading is listed as a romcom, and it was humorous in many ways, there are deeper issues that McKinlay brings to light. She blends them into the story so we come out with a warm romance that is both endearing and deeply touching.

SUCH A GOOD SUMMER ROMANCE! I am in love with the main characters and ther backgrounds. This was such a feel good read. You might cry a little but mostly smile. This book made my heart sing!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Summer Reading
By Jenn McKinlay
Pub Date May 16, 2023
Berkeley
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
I was drawn to the book by its gorgeous cover! I have enjoyed the authors other works but for some reason this one fell flat. The love story between Ben and Sam did not resonate for me. Nice book for a relief from Indiana winter… but not as good as I desired.

An adorable summer romance - perfect if you're looking for a beach or vacation read!

Samantha Gale is a chef who recently quit her job in Boston after being passed over for a promotion and comes home to Martha's Vineyard for the summer to chaperone her 14 year-old half-brother while her dad and stepmom are on an extended vacation in Europe. On the ferry to the island she meets a hot guy, Ben, and accidentally knocks the book he's reading overboard. As fate would have it, Ben is the Interim Director of the local library where Samantha's best friend, Emily, works and where her brother will be attending robotics camp every day so she can't avoid seeing him. Sparks fly but Samantha struggles with self-esteem issues relating to her dyslexia and can't imagine that an avid reader like Ben could want to be with someone who struggles with reading for anything but a summer fling.

This is a sweet romance (with a bit of steam) with two likeable characters getting to know and supporting each other on the road to realizing that they are each other's 'person'. Ben recognizes Samantha's strengths, helps her jumpstart a catering initiative on the island, and encourages her to start work on the cookbook she has always wanted to write based on her Portuguese grandmother's traditional recipes while Samantha, in turn, helps Ben in the search for his father and in dealing with his difficult mother.

Things apart from the romance that I enjoyed about this novel:
(1) I have always wanted to visit Martha's Vineyard so I loved the setting of Summer Reading - it sounds like the perfect summer vacation destination!
(2) It was quite interesting to read about a character dealing with dyslexia and the challenges associated with having a neurodivergent brain. There's an author's note at the beginning of the book explaining that it has been printed using a font that is easier for those with dyslexia to read and that words which would typically be itallicized are bold instead. I had no idea that those accommodations were helpful so that was educational.
(3) I enjoyed the development of Samantha's sibling relationship with Tyler at least as much as the romance, if not more.
(4) I also liked her relationship with best friend Emily and was pleased to see in the excerpt at the end of Summer Reading that Emily will be getting her own book about leaving Martha's Vineyard to take a job in Ireland!
(5) If you like to cook, there are bonus recipes for the Portuguese foods that Samantha makes included at the end of the book.

A great read overall - light enough for the summer beach bag but with some substance as well!!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

4.9 Stars

Samantha + Bennett

Sam just quit her job as a chef in Boston and being short on cash now, she's happy to be spending her summer on Martha's Vineyard at her dad's old family place. Dad and the step mom are leaving for Europe and Sam's supposed to watch her 14 year old half brother Tyler.
She was planing on spending her summer at the beach. But it looks like she'll be spending it chauffeuring Tyler to and from the local library. Little brother is a super smart guy and he needs to work on his robotics whatevers to get into his dream school. Sam does not do books. She's dyslexic!
But the library boss is the hot book guy from the ferry. So maybe she'll hang around a bit...
And maybe some local cooking opportunities might be rolling in too.
And someone's family mystery needs to be uncovered!

LET THE FUN TIMES BEGIN .... ☺

══════════════════

That was adorable!
A little pre-summer trip to Martha's Vineyard. What's not to love about that?!
We have this insta sparkage between Sam and Ben. It's adorable. Because they should not fit at all. Him being the calm chain reading library director and Sam with her ADHD and dyslexia. But they're super adorable together.
The relationship with her brother is something that Sam wants to work on this summer too. The age difference made it hard to connect in the past, but now he's old and wise enough to be her friend. But it's not easy taking care of a teenager.
Adorable!
Then we have Sam's BFF Em - they've shenaniganed their way across the island since they were babies. Well, Sam was the troublemaker and Em was just always along for the ride.
(We'll get Em's book next fyi!🎉)

I loved how Sam feels so at home on the island, especially after what happened in the city. I so want her to find her happily ever after in this place where she spent so many amazing summers.

I just loved reading this!
Adorable and funny and sparky summer romance with some very serious topics!
I loved how Jenn researched so much about dyslexia and how to make her own book more readable for people with reading problems.

Gimme the Netflix version asap please!

► SUMMER READING was such a beautiful summer love story! Adorable, funny, sparky, sweet, culinary, bookish, nerdy, islandy, mysterious and a bit sad .... I just loved reading this! Run to your nearest book shop for your own Ben - this one is MINE!!

This is the perfect summer read! I was reading this in January, and wished I was at the beach with this novel in hand. A really cute and fun romance, and also (totally separate from the romance) an amazing sibling bond! All of the characters were so relatable and fun. I felt totally immersed in the book while reading, and especially enjoyed the small town description.

Things I loved about this book:
- dyslexic representation and the book being formatted to be dyslexia-friendly!
- acknowledgment and positive discussion about mental health
- genuine relationships in more than just one way; familial, friendship, romantic etc, and all treated as equally important
- there was a mystery to be solved and our MCs were sleuthing their way around the island, 10/10 love an amateur detective moment

I did struggle a bit with some aspects of it, namely the overuse of similes and the fact that things tended to be over-explained. I feel like it’s smoother to show, not tell, the way characters are feeling or interacting, and going into such detail about the thought processes of different realizations pulled me out of the moment several times.

Overall very cute, loved the mystery aspect, and loved watching Sam’s relationships with her friends and family grow at the same time as her relationship with Ben.

I absolutely loved Summer Reading and am considering changing my birthday plans to Martha's Vineyard, because the author made it sound so quaint and relaxing! I enjoyed this so much!

Our story starts when our FMC, Sam, accidentally knocks a cute guy's (Ben's) book out of his hands on her ship ride to Martha's Vineyard. Sam is going to be watching her 14-year-old half-brother (Tyler) for the summer while her parents travel abroad and will be trying to establish a strong sibling relationship with him. While dropping her brother off for summer robotics camp, Sam discovers that the cute guy she inconvenienced on the ship is actually the new local library director (and her best friend's boss). As Sam's BFF, Em, deals with the potential of serious illness and Sam's feelings for Ben grow more complicated, Sam has to face her fears about repeating the past and dealing with her own childhood trauma. Sam is a chef who has been passed over for a promotion at her high-end city job and is strapped for cash... and ideas for how to sustain herself for the future. Sam fears that Ben will reject her when he finds out that the reason she doesn't like to read is because she is dyslexic and struggles to absorb written material that isn't accessible to people with her diagnosis. Can an introvert and an extrovert, a book lover vs. a movie lover, and a successful director vs. an in-between-jobs couple make a romance work? As Sam tries to help Ben unravel the mystery of who his father is, she begins to discern between accepting what people have thrown at her in the past and truly claiming what she deserves.

There are so many things to love about this book:

1. Our FMC is dyslexic and I learned SO much about dyslexia from this book. The book is also written in a dyslexia-friendly font and makes words bold instead of italicized to increase accessibility for dyslexic people.

2. Sibling relationships are explored just as much as romance, and I found that entire arc fascinating and adorable.

3. I saw in the back of Summer Reading that Sam's best friend Em is getting her own book?? I am so hyped for that because I really related to her health challenges and want to see which direction she chooses to go with her life. If this turns into a whole series, I'm in it for the long haul.

4. The MMC makes mistakes, but overall he is extremely thoughtful and finds ways to bridge gaps between his and Sam's special interests. I do wish that he had clarified exactly how he would deal with stressful situations in the future, but his re-entry into Sam's life was pretty dramatic and entertaining. I think this works so well because Sam and Ben are not actually opposites. They both adore storytelling- Sam just needs to engage with content in a way that is accessible for her while working through her emotional wounds from a childhood that was hateful toward dyslexic people.

5. Even though some parts of the book are sad, they are necessary for good storytelling. I've seen people asking why there is no lawsuit since Sam's workplace that basically fired her and didn't promote her seemed to discriminate against her for being dyslexic. While I think that would have been satisfying, the fact is that some people just want to move forward with their lives. Sam is also dealing with intense shame surrounding her diagnosis, so it makes sense that she is not in the headspace to jump into a legal fistfight. Maybe in a future book, this could be explored? Either way, I am satisfied with how things turned out. I would also love to find out what happened with the cookbook Sam was writing! The recipes in the back of the book look amazing, and I'm going to have to try them out.

All in all the author, Jenn McKinlay, jumped at the opportunity to make this book so much more than a romance, which is what really hooked me. I love it when authors take the time to develop an MC's relationships outside of romantic love and really delve into the side characters and backstories. I read this in a single night and I'm as invested in this story as I am in the Delilah Green series. Thank you to Netgalley, Jenn McKinlay, and Berkley Publishing for my ARC of this delightful read!

Ahh this book was pure love. I adored this book. The characters were cute, the story entertaining and the romance was absolutely swoon worthy!! Along with that I really loved the picturesque descriptions, throughout my entire read, I just couldn’t help but rather live through them vicariously. But one thing, that stood out to me the most was the main characters personal growth and development. And after reaching the end and flipping back to see how far they have come made my heart swell with so much pride and love. Undoubtedly, it’s a full 5 stars read for me

What a fun rom com. The beach, books, and a great relationship. This is the kind of book that just makes you happy - happy to be reading and happy at meeting this people and how it ends.

This book was cute. I did want a bit more out of relationship and more build to the romance. I like the writing style and can’t wait to read more by this author.

Thank you NetGalley for eARC in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. TW: death of a loved one/ parent, discussion of dyslexia and it’s affects on the MC, divorce.

This was… fine. I wasn’t overly interested In either main character and the way that this whole thing played out was just boring- I was very annoyed with the amount of times the character had to bring up that she couldn’t read due to her dyslexia. It was literally every page and i will not lie, I found it very tedious. I’m not dyslexic but I do assume it is that hard and difficult to get through day to day life, I just wish we could have had a break from her constant “I can’t read so I don’t” narrative.

It’s a fine book and definitely one I can see people loving, I just didn’t.

From the blurb and other reviews I was excited to read this book but it wasn’t for me. There were storylines that seems unnecessary and not fully developed and Sam’s neurodivergent brain was mentioned so many times it started to get tedious. I love diversity of all kinds in books and it’s so important but I think the another could have shown in more in characters actions and more developed inner monologues rather then describing it repeatedly.

Overall was a quick read with a nice setting and bones of a story.

Samantha is back in her childhood home of Martha’s Vineyard after quitting her job as a high profile chef in Boston.

On the ferry ride there, she accidentally knocks the book out of a hot guy’s hand and into the ocean.

Tasked with taking care of her little brother for the summer while her parents go on vacation, she soon finds out that the hot ferry guy is Ben- the interim director at the local library. He’s in town looking for the father he’s never known.

Serious sparks fly between them when he asks for her help on his search and they set out to prowl around the island together looking for clues. But although love and lust blossoms strongly between them, Samantha’s insecurities rooted in her dyslexia, and the fact that they’re both leaving town when the season is over, threaten to break them apart.

With a picturesque setting and plenty of entertaining storylines and well-developed characters, this fast-paced, steamy romcom will enchant book-lovers and foodies looking for an upbeat beach read.

This is a quick read with McKinlay's trademark humor. A fun flip having the librarian be male and the reluctant reader be female. Interesting insights into the strengths and challenges of those with dyslexia. Strong secondary characters add dimension and round out the story.

Summer Reading was the perfect fun, quick romance read. I did like that the characterization is flipped - with our male protagonist being the sexy librarian.

Quirky fun read. Some of the language was a bit repetitive but I enjoyed the reverse trope overall. Will recommend to romcom readers.

Cute and fun summer read just as advertised. I don't have too much to say about it as its pretty much exactly what I expected (which is in no way a criticism). The Martha’s Vineyard setting is fun and lush, and the characters are likeable and charming. Loved the sibling relationship, which was a much bigger part of the story than I initially suspected. Honestly, if you want to read this book for any reason (cover or description) it is likely exactly what you are looking for.

As soon as I saw the cover of Summer Reading, I knew I had to read it! I wasn’t expecting to love this book as much as I did though. At the main premise- a dyslexic chef who meets a librarian who loves to read- this book feels a little cliche on first glance. However, I thought Jenn did a great job writing a great story with a ton of plot.

What I loved:



- The sibling bond between Tyler and Sam. I loved to watch their relationship grow and flourish despite their age gap and their family situation.
- Sam was such a likable main character. Jenn did a great job representing dyslexia and the many ways dyslexia interrupts life.
- Sam and Em's friendship! I love a depiction of strong female friendships who are supportive of each other.
- Jenn's writing style! Summer Reading was a quick, easy read. It was fast paced and I didn't want to put it down!
- The side plots

What I wanted more of:
- More development of Ben and Sam's relationship.
- More about Sam's cookbook and her Portuguese influence

Read if you liked:
- Book Lovers by Emily Henry

All in all, I really enjoyed Summer Reading and thought it was not only a fun rom-com, but a great representation of neuro-divergent representation.

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Jenn KcKinlay and Berkley for the opportunity to read this ARC!