While I wanted to love this one - the MMC is a librarian!! - something about the romance portion of the book felt forced. I respect McKinlay's attempt at writing about an FMC dyslexion, as it's not something you see in books. However, I felt like I was being beat over the head with Sam's dyslexia and that brought the mood of a summer read down a bit. However, I absolutely love the growth between Sam and her half-brother Tyler. As an older sister with a sibling 9 years younger than me, it's fun to see the connection between Sam and Tyler now that they are older and have more life experience.

Read if you like:
• meet cutes
• books about books
• oposites attract
• foodie romance
• dyslexia/neurodivergent rep
• sibling friendships
• East Coast settings (Martha's Vineyard)

I really loved this author’s previous work, but I couldn’t get into this novel. The characters weren’t all that enjoyable and overall I was just kind of bored. Thank you netgalley for my free review copy.

Summer Reading by Jenn McKinley is an easy beach read. Although this book clocks in at nearly 500 pages, it does go fast. The story is about Samantha who is a chef. She's back in Martha's Vineyard for the summer to watch her little brother while her dad and stepmom take a whirlwind trip to Europe. On the ferry to the island, Samantha meets Ben and accidentally destroys the book he's reading. It turns out that Ben is the interim library director. Sam thinks there's no way he can be into her because due to her severe dyslexia, she is unable to really read well. And with him being a library director, he's into books. Also, Sam. It turns out Ben is in Martha's Vineyard not just to work but to look for the identity of his father.

The positive about Summer Reading first. I did a hybrid read of this between my eARC and the paperback from the library. The paperback is set with a dyslexia friendly font and is mindful of using bold instead of italics. I wish all books came with consideration for dyslexic people. Otherwise, this book just feel kind of flat for me. As I said, it doesn't take long to read, but it also didn't keep my attention. I found my mind continually wandering and I chose to do other things besides read this book. It's an okay read but never really feels like it goes beyond the surface for the characters.

I really enjoyed the dyslexia representation in this sweet, beachy romance. Bonus points for the food and book talk between the main characters.

really enjoyed!! this was acute story great for a summer beach read. the romance was very sweet and both main characters were likeable

I really wanted to read some summery books this summer and so I picked this one up. With a swoony librarian as a hero, how could this one go wrong? Sam loses her chef’s job and goes back home to Martha’s Vineyard to watch her half brother. Sparks fly when she meets the new librarian but wonders how it can work when she doesn’t read due to her dyslexia.

So an opposites attract sets up this romance. But I liked the friendships that form and Sam’s and her half brother’s change in attitude towards each other even more than the relationship. And while I love that this book includes a neurodivergent character, I did grow a little weary of it popping up. With devices being able to read aloud what is on screen and audiobooks, the world is better equipped to help out this issue.

I did root for Sam and Bennett, which is what I judge all romances by. They drew close when they helped each other overcome obstacles. I liked their chemistry as it jumped off the page. I loved Sam and Tyler’s relationship and how it went from non-existent to a sweet sibling bond.

And I almost forgot to mention all the talk of food, since of course Sam is a chef. Make sure you don’t read this one on an empty stomach.

I am always all in on a summer book set in Martha’s Vineyard. Samantha returns to Martha’s Vineyard trying to figure out her life. When the opportunity arises to watch her teen half brother, who she barely knows, she jumps at the chance. It allows her an opportunity to get to know her brother and figure out her life after her career as a chef is up in flames.
.
On the ferry over she meets a handsome Bennett. Bennett loves to read, works at the library and is her opposite. She hates to read, hates the library and all things bookish but she is drawn to Bennett. This is a romance and loved their relationship, but I really loved the sibling relationship in this one also!
.
The author did a great job writing about the family dynamics of a modern family and an even better job writing about Sam’s dyslexia. There is also a great authors note.
.

Huge thank you to @berkleypub @berittalksbooks @thephdivabooks @dg_reads and @netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
.

This was a cute summer read that easily helped me get lost in the scenery of Martha’s Vineyard!

Sam is home for the summer to take care of her teenage brother while her father and step-mother go on vacation for a month. Home just happens to be Martha’s Vineyard where she meets and falls for Ben, the new librarian. With a sordid history with reading due to her dyslexia, Sam is resistant to the pull of attraction, but soon Ben and Sam become inseparable.

I thought this one was a bit long but was super cute and the perfect beach read.

Overall, this was a cute and fun vacation read for me! I will always tear through a book while im on vacation but this one was a little harder to get through because it took me a minute to get into but the more I read, the more that I enjoyed it. Another thing that I enjoyed about this book was that it takes place on Martha's Vineyard which I go to with my family every year so getting to read about it made me happy. The relationship between Sam and Bennett was definitely cute, but at the end of the day I was left wanting more out of their relationship even after the clever banter happening throughout the book.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Jenn McKinlay for this opportunity to read and review this book!

The perfect summer/ beach read.

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

What happens when a dyslexic chef meets a handsome librarian? She does everything she can not to fall in love with him. Sam is spending the summer on Martha's Vineyard taking care of her younger half brother when she runs into a handsome librarian, who is spending the summer on the island in search of his birth father. In no time, Sam is helping Ben in the search for his dad, while Ben is teaching Sam how to love books. McKinlay tells a fun, cute story about facing one's reality rather than hiding who one really is, while also shining a light on the challenges those with dyslexia face on a daily basis. Not much is ever written or known about what it is like to have this disability, and McKinlay provides an excellent example of the daily things those without dyslexia take for granted. I sincerely appreciated that aspect of the book - not only did I enjoy the story, but I learned something as well!

I really flew through this great summer story!

Even though I don't have dyslexia or know anyone that does, I really appreciate the font being written in the dyslexic friendly one. I learned a bit more about this reading disorder through the character Sam. I also liked how she became an accomplished chef (shame on the people for firing her because of her dyslexia!) and I also loved that she wanted to write a cookbook in honor of her Grandma.

I liked how this flipped the script and made the boy bookish! From their first gross (this falls on another, not their, part) meeting in the ferry to the way they both help each other with their individual wants, I enjoyed watching the relationship develop.

What I really loved was the relationship that blossomed and grew between Sam and her half brother Tyler. How she teaches him to dance and how he teases her like a "dad" when she's with Ben.

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra

Summer Reading is a delightfully entertaining contemporary romance written by Jenn McKinlay. This author is relatively new to me (this being only the third book in this genre written by Ms. McKinlay that I have read) and so far, I am very happy I stumbled onto her writing in this genre.

The main characters are Samantha, a chef without a kitchen and Ben, an interim library director. This seems like an unusual pairing for what one can assume is a to-be romantic pair since Sam struggles to read due to her dyslexia and Ben is very much into reading. What we quickly realize is that Ben is a sensitive guy who just does not give up! And - Sam is a gal who longs to feel validated and loved. I loved the fact that while reading a romance I was schooled in a topic that I knew precious little about - dyslexia.

The story begins with Samantha arriving in Martha’s Vineyard to look after her younger half-brother while their parents take off on a much needed vacation. Little does anyone know that Sam is without a job or direction in her professional life. This is a chance for her to re-boot. Ben has taken a temporary position in Martha’s Vineyard to be able to research the summer his mother spent here and got pregnant, in hopes of figuring out who is father is now that his mother has passed. An unlikely pairing if I do say so myself - but it works.

I enjoyed the maturing dynamic between Sam and her half brother Tyler. To begin - there is friction (but then isn’t there always when dealing with young adolescent boys?), but what is evident is that they never really had a chance to bond and get to know each other as Sam was practically out of the house when Tyler was born… and she was not very accepting of her new step-mother to being with. As their relationship begins to mature, you see a strong family bond building. I thought the way Sam guided Tyler in his quest to impress a certain young women was genius - through food. Given that Sam is a chef though, I expected nothing less. And the driving scenes - priceless. I loved how the sibling bond grew throughout the story.

As Ben hunted for his father, and his relationship with Sam grew, I enjoyed their collaboration’s - both in searching the island for any clues available to figure out who Ben’s father was as well as Sam having Ben (and her brother) as sous chef’s / helpers on her Friday cooking gig’s. I was a bit frustrated when Ben pulled away - but what is a romance without a bit of angst? The journey to find the identity of Ben’s father is engaging… but you will have to read the book yourself to get more details on this particular journey!

This story had intrigue, romance and good ole fashioned family angst. Additionally, a hot lead in Ben, wonderful location and great writing make for an overall enjoyable read. In fact - one that I can recommend, especially if you want to be taken on a journey to Martha’s Vineyard and follow Samantha’s summer adventures.

I love the way this author weaves a story! After reading Wait for It, when I saw Summer Reading come up for review I had to grab it and I’m so glad I did. What I loved about this book is there was a definite romance going on, a slow burn one, but a romance none the less, however this book was about so much more and it was those other relationships that made this story almost perfect (it was perfect until Chapter 27 and there are only 29 chapters in this book (more on that later)). A sexy librarian hero, a dyslexic chef heroine, a fractured sibling relationship restored, a best friend who’d go to the mat for you and vice versa, add in the idyllic setting of Martha’s Vineyard, and you have one incredibly well written, witty, and wonderful story.

Samantha (Sam) has returned to Martha’s Vineyard for the summer to stay with her 14 year old brother, Tyler, while her father and step-mom take a two month long European vacation. The request from her dad came just as Sam was panicking about quitting her job after being passed over for a head chef position. She knows that it will not be easy; she and Tyler aren’t close as he was only 4 when she left home, but she plans to make the best of it. With Tyler enrolled in a robotics camp for summer, she’ll have plenty of time to relax on the beach and figure out her next step career wise, what she doesn’t count on is a crazy encounter on the ferry over to the island or to see that man again when she drops Tyler off for camp.

Bennett (Ben) accepted the position as interim library director on Martha’s Vineyard for one reason only, to find his father. Knowing his mother spent the summer before his birth there waitressing and the fact that she won’t divulge his name, Ben plans to find his father once and for all. I loved the way he and Sam met and there were definite sparks from the start, when he sees her at the library it’s like kismet and I just knew their relationship would be a special one. I especially loved that after Sam tells him about her dyslexia he is accepting, something she hasn’t had in the past from a lot of people. Showing up and reading to her so they can enjoy the same book…sigh.

This book had a full and rich plot and through it all Sam begins to see that despite her disability she can do things she’s wanted to do even if it means asking for help. Ben is a big part of that encouraging her to write the cookbook of her grandmother’s recipes by taking note and writing down steps as she cooks. Seriously at times Ben is too good to be true. Along with that I was captivated with the way Sam and Tyler began to communicate and really get to know one another on a different level. Their bond was special and lasting. In addition Sam’s long time best friend, Emily, has a health scare but Em is always there each and every time Sam needs her and she absolutely has Sam’s back when it comes to her dyslexia.

My one complaint was Ben going all out of character and ruining a good thing and yes, I get that he has issues stemming from his b*tch of a mother, Moria, and the head games she played with him his whole life, but what he did wasn’t right and it went on too long and if you ask me Sam gave in way too easily. Yes, I get she loved him but he acted like a complete d*ck and she should have made him sweat a whole lot longer IMHO. (Yes I hold grudges when they are warranted and it was in this instance –too good to be true man, yep HUGE flaw in his character right there.)

Overall, I loved Summer Reading and I highly recommend it. Jenn McKinlay has a way with words and I simply fall into her books and the world melts away.

When Sam a chef goes home for the summer to take care of her half-brother she has a crush on the local librarian although she doesn't like to read. This summer will be the best yet hopes to form a relationship with her brother, starting up her career again and maybe get a little romance.

Although there are some deep issues here, McKinlay keeps the tone light enought to feel just like a beach read. There is family drama and also learning how to navigate relationships while being neurodiverse and I loved those aspects of this story. Sam is home after being passed over for an executive chef position and is taking care of her younger half brother, Tyler while her dad and his wife get some much needed time away. Sam meets Ben (hot library guy) on the ferry over to the Vinyard and sparks fly immediately.
Sam is hiding a secret though, she is dyslexic and Ben is a reader for a living, how could this ever work between them? Both of them are battling demons that haunt them from the past and it is great to see how they work together and how Sam works through issues with her family.
I feel like this book just breezed by, but the family things are what really kept me interested. 3.5 Stars!
Thank you to Berkley, Netgalley and Jenn McKinlay for an early copy.

There are so many things I loved about Summer Reading. I loved the romance. I love the Vineyard setting. I loved the characters. Most importantly, I loved that the main character was neurodiverse and living with dyslexia. Now, I'm not neurodiverse, so I can't speak to the accuracy of what Sam experiences, but reading it I definitely like I had a better understanding of dyslexia.

I also really love the role reversal that Ben was the reader in the story and helped Sam discover different ways to enjoy books. And Sam helped Ben with the search for his unknown father by using her deep familial knowledge of the island.

This was such a wonderful story and I enjoyed every second reading it.

Thank you Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for the eARC!

Definitely a good summer vacation book to take to the beach. Set in a town in Martha’s Vineyard during the summer, Samantha Gale is licking her wounds after not getting the promotion to head chef. Returning to spend summer with Tyler, the half brother she has hardly spent time with, while their parents vacation in Europe, Sam is dazzled by Ben, the hot new Library Director. As a neurodivergent person, and dyslexic, can Sam and the book loving Ben actually develop a relationship? I enjoyed the characters and the steamy scenes. Recommended. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you @berkleypub for the free book and @prhaudio for the audio version as well. #penguinrandomhousepartner

This is an enjoyable light read, perfect for summer! I especially love that this book is published in a friendly format for readers with dyslexia. (Be sure to read the author’s note.)

SAMANTHA GALE agrees to spend the summer watching her teenage younger brother while her parents travel. The story is told from her viewpoint and she mentions her dyslexia frequently. It was interesting to see how she coped with it.

BEN REYNOLDS is an avid reader, spending his summer working as the librarian. He doesn’t judge Sam for her dyslexia. He piques her interest in reading by reading books to her.

I love Sam’s sarcastic and self-deprecating sense of humor and I especially love the relationship she builds with her brother. I personally don’t feel there is much chemistry between Ben and Sam. I would have preferred to have more of the book devoted to the romance and less to the dyslexia factor.

I read most of this book in its digital format and preferred that over the audio version.

This book had me by the cover, unfortunately this did not live up to my expectations. I didn’t really connect with the romance aspect between Ben and Sam. I connected with the side stories more and felt like those were the focus of the book, Sam’s relationship with her brother and Ben’s search for his dad. I did really enjoy the fact that Jenn wrote this with the intention of having a neurodivergent MC and I really liked how she showed that just because there is that disability it first define Sam. All in all, there were some good parts to the book but I just felt like the romance aspect was a miss.