"Summer Romance" is a heartwarming novel about a newly single mother, Ali, who is navigating grief and rediscovering love. After her husband leaves her and she mourns her mother's passing, Ali, a former accountant turned home organizer, feels lost. Her three children bring her joy, but it isn't until Ethan comes to town that she begins to find herself again.

The story focuses not only on Ali and Ethan's romance but also on Ali’s journey of self-discovery. She is a relatable, honest, and flawed character that readers can easily root for.

While the plot may be predictable, it features endearing moments, humor, and PG-13 chemistry between the main characters. Monaghan’s characters face real-life challenges, learn from their mistakes, and grow throughout the story.

Overall, "Summer Romance" is a delightful summer read with relatable characters and a charming setting, making it a perfect escape.

I read for a distraction from real life. This just felt too boring for me to be distracted. I’m a mom of 2kids and happily married…. I think I’ve figured out that a divorce trope is just not for me.

Annabel Monaghan is an auto buy author and an auto read for me. I loved this book!! Thank you netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this book! 5 beautiful stars

I ended up listening to this one in audio and thought it was really cute. I liked the two main characters and it was cute and carefree.

This book was an absolute delight! I loved that it was a closed-door romance, keeping things sweet and heartfelt without crossing any lines. The story was so cute, and I found myself totally wrapped up in the characters’ journeys. It’s the perfect pick for a beach day—light, fun, and impossible to put down. I ended up finishing it in just one day. I couldn’t stop turning the pages, eager to see how it all unfolded. I highly recommend for anyone looking for a feel-good read!

This book felt incredibly realistic! It had all the charming, feel-good vibes of a romantic comedy, but they felt genuine rather than like a typical Hallmark or fairy tale. It was a fun, lighthearted read—perfect for summer. I also appreciated that the characters were adults and not some twenty-something’s that you can’t relate to. It felt like the comfort of a favorite TV show while lounging on a cozy couch. I highly recommend it!

Perfect meet cute and summer read! Loved the chemistry between Ethan and Ali! Would definitely reread and recommend!

Love this book so much! Love all of Monaghan’s books but this was possibly my favorite. The author writes the best “second chance/mid-life” love stories.
The characters are always lovable and the stories are easy to get into. The real meat of life-loss, grief, fear- are always weaved into stories to make them completely relatable and realistic.
Looking forward to her next book!

This meet be my favorite and funniest meet cute I’ve ever read. I couldn’t believe the dog peeded on him and it made me definitely want to keep reading. There were many parts where I would tell myself I would Put down the book at the end of the chapter but then I would keep reading because it would be getting good!

I highly recommend this book!

Thank you NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for a copy of this book.

This book was not what I expected it to be, I was expecting light hearted summer rom com, but it had so much more depth. This book follows Ali, who is going through a divorce and recently lost her mother. She meets a guy at a dog park and has an instant attraction to him, only to find out later she's known him since childhood. I enjoyed this book so much and would definitely recommend it. I also loved that the main characters were in their mid to late 30s, so it didn't feel super young.

I love Annabel Monaghan’s writing. She writes relatable middle-age women so well. She writes grief and struggle so well and balancing motherhood. The romance on this one didn’t completely do it for me but overall a lovely read.

I went into this book thinking it would be a light, fluffy romcom. It was SO MUCH more. Ali's grief for her mom was handled so beautifully--it never felt heavy. Our Cinnamon roll MMC falls first, and loves kids, dogs, and old people. I sobbed ugly tears. I laughed. My heart burst with overwhelming love. I wish I could go back in time and read this again for the first time.

Three cheers for a book with a main character in her mid thirties! The romance genre is overflowing with twenty-somethings finding love. I really enjoyed that Summer Romance is about a 38 year old mom of 3 finding new love.

Synopsis: Ali Morris is a professional organizer on the verge of divorce. While she helps her clients declutter and organize, her own life is a mess of grief, suppressed anger, and piles of laundry and mail. When she meets a nice guy at a dog park, she thinks a summer romance may be what she needs to get her life back on track.

Review: Summer Romance is a great quick beach-read. Ali Morris is very likable and relatable (at least for this 37 year old, stay-at-home-mom of 2). I so enjoyed reading a story about someone like me. The character was written true to her age and circumstances.
Romantic interest Ethan is the perfect guy to help Ali get out of her slump and move on from her failed marriage. An ultimate nice-guy who has seen what life could have been like if he took a different path.
Their romance is sweet. Nothing far-fetched or eye-roll worthy. A lot of funny and cute moments.
My favorite parts of the book are Ali’s relationship with her parents and her children. So many moments reminded me of my own relationships.

Summer Romance
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book was Fantastic! I totally enjoyed it. It made me laugh out loud often. You will fall in love with the characters. It is nice that it isn't just a young person love story. It was totally relatable. I can't wait for Annabel's next book. The perfect Beach read!
Thank you NetGalley

I loved the book! I’ve read two other books by Annabel Monaghan, and this one is my favorite. I feel like I haven’t seen enough people talk about Annabel Monaghan, and they should be!
I am not a 38 year old, recently divorced, single mom but while I was reading I couldn’t help but relate to Ali. I think anyone would be able to relate to her. I definitely recommend this book!

“Life’s going to do what life’s going to do, Alice. You might as well have a dog.”

In my head I was expecting light summer romance read but I liked the little bit of depth to this one! These characters had struggles and such relatable experiences. And Ethan 🫶🏽 I just loved him! Can we have more skateboarding in books? I’m obsessed! The perfect summer read!

Thanks for the ARC!!

Annabel Monaghan with another winner! Just the perfect quick read.

Monaghan has the ability to write characters with depth without tons of unnecessary details. Readable and engaging and lovely!

Another winner from Annabel Monaghan. Just a feel good romance. I loved reading about Ali and her family, and seeing her growth as a woman and a mother. And the way Ethan helped her grow into her new self. 🥰🥰

Annabel Monaghan portrayed grief and finding yourself through the midst of grief so beautifully and accurately. I loved Ali’s story and how she was able to find herself and love herself again after losing her mom and going through a heart breaking divorce. The love story between her and Ethan was beautiful and so realistic. I loved that the romance was secondary to her character growth and development.

Thank you Annabel Monaghan, Putnam Books, and NetGalley for this ARC!

Love this book and author! Main characters are great especially MMC!

The small town setting was great. Loved the relationships with the sisters.