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!

I couldn't finish this one. I got 20% of the way in and gave up. The main character was very immature. She was nearly 30 and her 14-year-old brother had more maturity than her. The author did a lot of explaining of the same things over and over instead of showing things through character actions. Not a fan. It's too bad, because the cover is excellent.

I liked the library and the characters. I liked the look into dyslexia.
I just had a hard time reading this as it didn't totally hold my attention. Cute concept, just wasn't a huge hit for me.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

Jenn McKinlay's romance between an avid reader and a woman with dyslexia is an entertaining and delightful read. Bennet and Samantha meet with she accidently destroys his book. They meet again when she takes her younger brother who she is watching for the summer to his robotic competition at the hated library and she finds that Bennet is the acting librarian Since Samantha struggles with reading because of her dyslexia she assumes Bennet would not be interested in her. They manage to connect and he gets her interested in reading by reading aloud to her. This story is a great romance, an easy read, and very entertaining. There are the usual conflicts and misunderstandings but as in all good romances, it all works out in the end. Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to review this book.

Thanks NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for this arc!

This was a cute story. It was a quick read, and if you want a cheesy happy story, this is for you!

And it is quite cheesy. I feel like Sam and Tyler's relationship just happen super easy, with a little conflict then ah ha! We are bestie siblings 4 Eva with a cool handshake and sweet dance moves! It's cute, though.

Sam and Ben worked really well together, and I liked watching their relationship progress. Ben is the rom-com hero every woman wants, and I'm here for it lol.

I found some statements to be quite repetitive, like Sam would say the same thing a few different ways in the same paragraph, so maybe some more editing would be beneficial.

This book hit all the marks. Sam is home for the summer to watch her younger half brother, who she has a rocky relationship with, while figuring out her next career move. On the way in via ferry she meets a hot reader guy in a comedy of errors that remind her of the many ways her own hidden disabilities affect her life. Filled with McKinlay's trademark humor, this book also tackles a tough subject with grace and heart. I could not put this down, and was pulled in to Sam's world and story from the first pages.

Oh. My. Goodness!! I loved loved loved this book. It definitely gave me “Book Lovers by Emily Henry” vibes. This books was a great love story while also bringing awareness to a topic many don’t know about. I’m almost sad to be done with this book! But *spoiler alert* there looks to be another one coming that is following Em?? Yes ma’am, sign me up!

I fell for this amazing cover! After reading and obviously enjoying Wait for It so much, I didn’t think or care to read the blurb! I just requested the arc! This colorful, vivid cover truly enchanted me! I just went blind. Buttttt…

I wish I loved this book as much as I adored the author’s previous work. But I found it a little flat and the love story between Sam and Ben didn’t resonate with me! Don’t get me wrong! The characters were truly likable. Maybe I got used to read love stories with my favorite tropes. Just because of that, I found romantic parts a little strained, dull. At the last parts Ben made me curse a lot. He acted like immature jerk.

Anyways I still enjoyed representation of dyslexia/ neurodivergence , delicious food recipes. I think I invested in Sam and her little brother Tyler’s bonding and Ben’s searching for his father storylines more than the romance parts. That’s why I liked this book as a fiction but I didn’t love it as a swoon, sweet romance ( which is not, there are too many heavy stuff and triggering subjects in this book)

It was still great getaway to visually move away from freezing Winter days to explore a summer holiday on Martha’s Vineyard ( this year I might read at least 50 books take place at this location. I am so determined to visit there next year)

I’m giving my three stars but I can honestly it’s still enjoyable book with good written family bounding stories that warm your heart. But I just wish to read a good romance. That’s why it’s lower my points. I’m still looking forward to read the next works of the author.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing and Netgalley for this ARC of Summer Reading by Jenn McKinlay. I've previously read one title by Jenn McKinlay, Wait For It, and I liked it just fine. It was a summer vibe kind of book like this one was, but I read it during last fall/winter, so when I saw that Summer Reading was available for this winter, I thought I'd give it a shot! Honestly, I've just determined that McKinlay's writing style is just meh for me. They're short, in my opinion, with barely enough to keep you engaged. It's light, and like other romance books, it aims to tackle a "bigger lesson". I didn't find the story all that memorable or the lesson all that compelling, though. Secondly, I think her characters are rather forgettable. I got through Summer Reading relatively fast but I didn't remember much once I was done. Nothing really stuck with me. What I did like is the dyslexia representation through the main character, Sam, with some family connection/plot in there, and the Martha's Vineyard backdrop just has you aching for summer. The side plot with Ben, Sam's younger half-brother, was also a nice touch as well. Unfortunately, I just didn't click too well with Sam, and Tyler was just okay for me. I loved that his job was as the library's interim director but my interest kind of just ended there. There were a lot of heavy topics that were thrown at the reader but then they're glossed over, and I'm starting to think this is a recurring theme with McKinlay because this happened with her previous work I read, too. Overall, it's a good read in the winter when you're freezing and looking forward to the sun-soaked days ahead. Not my favorite, but for all my foodie readers out there who like that as an element in books, this one might be for you.

2.75 stars.

Jenn McKinlay's Summer Reading is an absolute delight! It's a perfect summer read for anyone looking for a light and breezy story. The characters are well-developed and relatable, and Jenn McKinlay does an excellent job of developing the plot and the stakes. The writing is clever and witty, providing a great balance of comedy and drama. The plot is full of unexpected twists and turns, making it a page-turner that will keep you guessing until the very end.

Chef Sam, summering at her family’s cottage on the Vineyard–think renovated but still working class Portuguese, not cottages like the Gyllenhalls or Kennedys have “cottages.” Passed over for a promotion in part due to the gender and in part due to disability (WHERE IS THE LAWSUIT???), Sam is home to regroup and lick her wounds. The timing is perfect, as she’s needed to keep an eye on her 14-year old half brother Tyler during her parent’s planned vacation to Europe. How hard can it be to keep a brilliant teenager fed and watered? Sam meets a hottie on the ferry and accidentally knocks his book into the water. Struggling with dyslexia, books are a challenge for Sam, but she does love stories, and fangirls over Stephen King and horror novels to her new crush, who she bumps into the next day while dropping her off at robotics camp at the public library. Turns out Ben is the interim library director. The cute, motorcycle-riding librarian is spending the summer trying to uncover the identity of his father and is sure he was conceived on Martha’s Vineyard. Opposites attract and he not only appreciates all of her workarounds, but helps her with new ones, from smutty romance novel read-alouds to scribing her dream cookbook. Sam lands a gig cooking happy hour cocktails and special events for a local business, and rediscovers the Martha’s Vineyard, making the Oak Bluffs setting come alive for readers.

I love Berkley romances, foodie novels, novels infused with cultural details, AND libraries, so not sure why this one isn’t resonating strongly with me. Something about this stream of consciousness style is amatuer and off-putting to my ear. It fits the voice of the character, an out-of-work chef with dyslexia and ADHD, pretty well, but the casual tone coupled with didactic intrusions to educate readers about dyslexia and ADHD detract from the narrative, like when Sam is pursuing a cooking magazine and stops to complain about the typeface, that lacks clear differentiation between b, d, and p for people with dyslexia (1 in 10 people have it, though the stat I’m familiar with as a librarian is 1 in 5). I don’t disagree that it’s an issue, or that it needs to change, I’m just not convinced this is this advocacy issue was handled as deftly as dyslexia in Spoiler Alert. Still, the author’s note is well-justified, and I appreciate that the publication favors bold instead of italics and a friendly font.

Sam is a well-rounded and absolutely brilliant character, and her growth as Ben helps her to see herself as he sees her helps her to squash her inner critic. The intimate scenes feel blow-by-blow wooden instead of intimate and passionate, but points for consent and protection. Many plot points feel very surface: a friend’s cancer scare and confrontation with her parent and pursuit of her own dreams, Sam’s not pursuing litigation for her previous boss’s illegal firing, Ben not confronting his infuriating mother on the page, and even the deepening sibling relationship between Tyler and Sam focuses on dance moves and handshakes, him trying some new foods, and quickly realized denouements with their mutual dad. The authentic recipes at the end are a nice touch, but if the cookbook had been a stronger element, there could have been more, and interspersed. Overall, I like the plot, setting and characters, but am not in love with the editing/execution of this one.

I received a free advance reader’s review copy of #SummerReading from #NetGalley

I wanted to like this book more than I did. I was intrigued by having a dyslexic main character and I loved the setting but it just felt like Sam was trying to hard to be quirky and it got old fast.