While it seems like a second (or seventh) chance romance, "Seven Summers" actually felt more like a women's fiction or literary fiction fit over a straight-up romance. The love story is definitely more of a subplot on main character Liv's journey.

This book was hard for me, personally, to get into at the start. I think because I couldn't really vibe with back-and-forth timelines. I'm a chronological girl through and through! However, I can't take away that "Seven Summers" is objectively well-written using compelling language.

CW: Grief, Death of a Parent

Seven Summers is heartbreaking and lovely, unexpected and fulfilling. Paige Toon brings you on a journey over seven magical and difficult summers with Liv and Finn as they decide whether to choose one another year after year. Present day, when Liv meets a mysterious stranger who is artistic, stable and secure, she has to decide if she’s going to start new or allow Finn to seep back in. Full of grief, connection, artistic imagery and love, Seven Summers will stay with you long after you put the book down.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Wow, what a rollercoaster of emotions that this book has taken me on. I feel absolutely exhausted from the tears and my heart being broken so many times by this book, and yet I could not put it down. This book has a great of loss and grief related to the loss of parents.

For me, this story especially hit home as a parent of a disabled child that always worries what the impact will be on her sibling after we as the parents are gone.

Seven summers is about Liv and Finn who fall in love one summer when Liv loses her parents in a car accident. Liv had plans to move away after the summer to pursue sculping but stays in town to take care her disabled brother. Finn moved to LA to live with his dad after his mom committed suicide he was a child. He visits his half brothers and grandparents each summer. However, he says, “I will return next summer. And I’m not asking you to wait for me. But if we are both still single…” Liv insists that they do not keep in touch throughout the year because it’s too hard.

Every summer Finn returns (specifically on the anniversary of Liv’s parents death), they pick up where they left off “completely in love” and try support one another through the grief that weighs on each of them. However, Finn cannot stay because it’s too sad to live there and Liv cannot leave her brother. So the rollercoaster of heart break continues as Finn returns to LA and they are both destroyed…until Finn meets someone. Liv decides to be open when Tom comes along…but what happens when Finn comes back for the summer.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Putnam for allowing me an advanced digital copy of this books. I thoroughly enjoyed this heart-wrenching story. I will be definitely checking out this authors other books. Don’t hesitate to get this one on publish day 5/21/2024 💔

I have a book hangover from the engaging story of Olivia Arterton and her life of love, grief and learning to live again after just graduating from the Edinburgh College of Art. Her small, coastal hometown of Cornwall isn’t exactly where she thought she would end up with her degree in sculpture but life doesn’t always take us where we want but it brings to where we need to be. I loved cheering for Liv and her happiness and healing.

Whoa, what to even say! It's been a minute since I've read something that has torn my heart up in this way. A special type of romance that I felt deep in my bones. I had never read anything by Paige Toon but I'll have to after reading this. What a rollercoaster. A really authentic and emotional romance with wonderfully developed characters. Be prepared, it's not an easy breezy beach read, but if you're looking for something a bit deeper and heartfelt, this story is the one.

Thank you, NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC. I so appreciate getting the opportunity to read

Have you ever read other peoples' reviews and wondered if you even read the same book? This is where I am at after finishing Seven Summers by Paige Toon. When I started reading it, it felt like it was going to be an enjoyable "beach read." I was enjoying the story of Liv and Finn, but was confused when the timeline jumped and we started hearing about Tom. It intrigued me enough to want to keep reading to see how the timelines were going to come together. There were times when it felt bogged down with details, and then all of a sudden it was the epilogue. I did not like the way the epilogue was written. I've never read such a long epilogue. It felt very rushed and each section jumped in time more than just one year, but not consistently with how much time.

I received a digital ARC of this book thanks to the publisher and NetGalley.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of Seven Summers. I suspect this book will be a hit for Summer reading season. Grab your tissues and settle in because you won’t want to put this book down. Seven Summers is the story of Liv, living in Cornwall England. Paige Toon does a masterful job of revealing just what we need to know to keep us guessing how Liv’s story will unfold. Go ahead and preorder Seven Summers or put it on your library holds list now.

ARC REVIEW

Seven Summers
By Paige Toon

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Publishing date: 5/21/24

I accidentally read this one early. I thought it was publishing in March, but it's actually May....but OH MY GOD IM GLAD I READ IT EARLY!!!!

I'm calling it now - this is going to be one of the best romance titles of 2024. IT IS SO FREAKING GOOD. It has everything I love in a romance and so much more.

I felt all the emotions for the characters. I cried, felt happiness, grief, frustration...all the feelings! I was so sucked in the entire time. I haven't felt such a strong desire to keep reading in a long time. I didn't want to stop!

I adored both sides to the love stories.  I had no idea how the book was going to end, but I honestly think it was perfect. It's such a beautiful story.

Ah, I loved it so much. This will definitely be a top 2024 book for me. And it will be one I buy to add to my bookshelf after it's released.

Get this pre ordered NOW. And then come back and tell me how much you loved it please!

Thank you, @putnambooks and @netgalley, for the chance to read this early! Thank you, @paigetoonauthor, for this beautiful book!!

Goodreads blurb:

Six summers to fall in love. One summer to change everything.

Liv and Finn meet six summers ago working in a bar on the rugged Cornish coastline, their futures full of promise. When a night of passion ends in devastating tragedy they are bound together inextricably. But Finn’s life is in LA with his band, and Liv’s is in Cornwall with her family—so they make a promise. Finn will return every year, and if they are single they will spend the summer together.

This summer Liv crosses paths with Tom—a mysterious new arrival in her hometown. As the wildflowers and heather come into bloom, they find themselves falling for one another. For the first time Liv can imagine a world where her heart isn’t broken every autumn. Now Liv must make an impossible choice. And when she discovers the shocking reason that Tom has left home, she’ll need to trust her heart even more . . .

I'm not even sure how to start this review, but I loved this book. I'm broken and I almost cried many times, so you are all in trouble. This book was heartwrenching and beautiful at the same time. Liv and Finn went to high school together and reconnected the summer they were 22. They flirted all summer and got together at the end when tragedy strikes Liv. Finn was planning on returning to LA and had to go back. They agree to meet the following summer if they are both still single. This continues for a few years until Finn meets someone else, but is willing to give her up for Liv, but she won't let him. They are both unwilling to make the move. He offers, but she won't let him. Liv meets Tom and falls in love. Finn shows up and she lets him go. Unfortunately, Tom had a hereditary heart condition and Liv loses him way too soon. They were trying IVF, which failed multiple times and Liv was heartbroken. Finn helps her pick up the pieces and they finally end up together. This story was well written and I am now a huge fan of this author.

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Get ready for Seven Summers to steal the spotlight as this summer's must-read beach companion! Dive into the whirlwind romance of Liv and Finn, who meet while slinging drinks at a Cornwall bar in their twenties. Sparks fly instantly, but it's the classic tale of right person, wrong time, with Finn living it up in L.A. and big career dreams on both their horizons. A tragic twist at the end of that summer cements their connection, and with a pact to revisit their romance if they're both single the next year, their epic love story takes off through six summers. But, ah, the plot thickens when Liv finds herself torn between Finn and Tom, a swoon-worthy tourist ready to sweep her off her feet in Cornwall.

This book is an absolute page-turner, keeping me glued to it every chance I got. The storytelling is like a perfectly mixed cocktail, smoothly transitioning between past summers and the present. I was completely transported to the dreamy, sun-soaked Cornish seaside, a welcome escape from the dreary Michigan winter. The characters are a delightful bunch, and Liv steals the show as an incredibly likable protagonist. The love stories are the stuff of dreams, with enough chemistry to keep you guessing about Liv's romantic fate.

But hold on tight! Seven Summers is no light and breezy beach read—it's a heartstring-tugging romance that'll have you reaching for the tissues.

If I had one tiny quibble, it would be that the ending left me wanting a bit more. After the rollercoaster ride of emotions, a little extra closure would have been the cherry on top.

I'm officially a huge Paige Toon fan! I would highly recommend this author's books if you've enjoyed Colleen Hoover's writing in the past, but are looking to move on from that. SEVEN SUMMERS was both an endearing and realistic romance -- I ate it up!

If I could give this seven stars for seven summers, I would. I went into this thinking it would be a light summer read but it ended up being SO much more. I’ve loved every single book Paige has created but this one is officially my new favourite. I can’t get this story out of my mind. Stunning work. Thank you Paige and Net Galley for the advanced copy.

(I cried so hard while reading this book that my boyfriend came running as he heard me sobbing from two rooms away - a clear sign of incredible story telling!!)

I have come to expect that Paige Toon will tear apart my heart with each new book. I’m grateful that I can count on her to put it back together better than before. There were two great love stories with this one and I couldn't choose the outcome I wanted. Fortunately, Paige Toon knows how to write the best endings. Excellent book with great pacing. I enjoyed every minute. 4.5⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons for this complimentary ARC. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was a solid book. I am not one for emotional rollercoasters so that definitely affects my opinion, but the author did a great job drawing in my emotional heartstrings. In the end, I enjoyed the dynamic between Liv and Finn and the past present timeline was endearing me to them. I am left feeling like their HEA lasts after the last page

Wowowow it's a good one! Loved this story--would read it again! Such a good summer book and would definitely recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and Paige Toon!

This book broke my heart to pieces and then mended it back in place! This was such a great love story and with minimal unnecessary graphic sexual content like most books have these days. It had me questioning who I was actually rooting for towards the end and even cursing at one of them for his actions. It was definitely a roller coaster ride for me. The back and forth between timelines had me confused at first, but then I caught on and was able to enjoy the book, I was able to picture each character and those are the books that make an impression on me. I absolutely loved Livs brother, Michael! He was a favorite. I do feel that the epilogue was a bit long and drawn out, that easily could’ve been a last chapter we sort of deal. But otherwise this one was a great read. I’m happy with who she ended up with, but I’m heartbroken at the same time. Thank you for another great book!

Oh my GOSH this book was freaking heartbreaking. It hit me in the feels, for real. I can’t say too much because I don’t want to give anything away, but I loved the alternating timelines and the characters. I found myself simultaneously rooting for Tom AND Finn depending on which chapter I was in. There were so many tearful moments and it was just… so good.

I’ve been on a clean romance kick lately and this did not disappoint. There is zero spice in this book so if that’s what you’re looking for, bark up another tree. This does deliver in romance, though, so buckle up because the FMC gets to experience two loves in her lifetime.

I mean, how lucky can a girl be when her only two loves are great loves? This is a classic case of meeting the right person at the wrong time then meeting another right person during that timeframe. Both men are sickeningly sweet and good to her.

I loved how the title comes full circle in the book.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Oh my gosh. Paige Toon knows how to hit you in the feels! I found this one to be hopeful and heartbreaking at the same time. I liked the back and forth between the present time and each of the past summers. I really enjoyed seeing the relationship between the siblings progress as well as the FMC and MMC. I like that the author tends to write love more realistically—in that it’s not always perfect, or enough or fair. There is a lot of pain in the book, but there is also a lot of joy, and growth and beauty,

This was not my favorite. I am a HUGE Paige Toon fan, so I won't be giving up. I will eagerly await her next one and still give 4 stars because I love her so much. But this one was just super slow to begin and didn't catch me like the last ones. I look forward to her books and can't wait for the next one.