So this was perfect! I swear Annabel Monaghan never misses! I got introduced to her last year and I am now a super fan! Summer romance was amazing! Falling for your best friends younger brother. Yes please!

Summer Romance is the perfect antidote for my mid winter blahs as I was thrilled to receive an ARC from NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam. Annabel Monaghan is a wonderful writer and couldn't wait to dive into her new book.
From beginning to end I fell in love with this what I'll term "grown people" romance between an almost divorced Ali and her best friend's little brother Ethan. What unravels is a wonderful tale of falling in love, working through grief, finding one's self and new chapters. Highly recommend

Annabel Monaghan has this incredible talent for writing beautiful romances that sweep you off your feet but still feel realistic. This book has so much life in it with themes of grief, love & loss, motherhood and rediscovering yourself. The story flows so well throughout its entirety & stops with a perfect ending. There was also surprisingly a good amount of humor that paired well with the romance. This is one of those books I’ll be thinking about probably forever & wish I could read again for the first time.

DNF at 9%. Unfortunately this is another book by this author that's just not for me. I can't relate to a middle aged divorcee with three kids and her problems. Just a few chapters in, way too much already revolved around her kids and that's a plot point that just never works for me. SAME TIME NEXT SUMMER was so perfect so I'm hoping the author writes more books like that in the future.

After loving Nora Goes Off Script and Same Time Next Summer, any Annabel Monaghan is officially an auto read for me. I was beyond excited to get an advanced copy of Summer Romance and it didn’t disappoint.

Summer Romance follows Ali Morris who’s dealing with the death of her mom and a husband who wants a divorce. She meets someone at the dog park and the story takes off from there. Monaghan does such a great job getting readers to connect and fall in love with her imperfect characters. While I may have loved her other two novels slightly more, this one was still fantastic!

Thanks to NetGalley & Penguin Group for the ARC!

I've been eyeing this book for a while and eagerly awaiting its arrival. I did an actual happy dance when I saw my NetGalley approval. We had it on our short list this year for book club and I'm happy to say it will be our August pick!

I never really understood when people said they loved a book so much they kept putting in down so it wouldn't end until this one! Annabel Monaghan's other books were some of my favorites of 2023, and this one did not disappoint either.

Each character, from our couple Ali and Ethan down to the neighbor's daughters, is well written, and have a specific role in the story. I related to Ali as a mom (although happily married), and it didn't hurt that I am in the midst of a new year declutter of my home. Ali and Ethan are just adorable, the kids are well written, the other family members add to the story and help paint a full picture of Ali's life.

Annabel Monaghan is a must-read author for me, and this book just solidified that status.

“Summer Romance” is just like it sounds - A sweet escape into a world of Nancy Meyers kitchens and coastal grandmother vibes with a second chance at love and life. In a phrase, it’s a “champagne summer,” something Ali Morris’ mother used when she was growing up to help soak up the summertime nostalgic magic.

Ali uses organization to take control over the things that she can in her life, or other people’s lives as a hired organizer (closets, pantries, you name it). Unlike the recent death of her mother and separation from her husband, which she can’t tuck in a neat little box. She’s grieving the life she thought she was supposed to have, or rather that her mother wanted her to have. Ali is on the road to starting over, when she runs into her best friend’s brother, unbeknownst to her at the time that it’s “Scooter” (who now goes by Ethan), and is smitten from the start. Through the finalization of her divorce and getting back on her feet, Ethan is by her side through it all - Reminding her to speak up for herself and what she wants, and that it’s okay to ask for it.

I am a big fan of Annabelle Monaghan’s writing and storylines. I’ll admit that this one took me a minute to get into “Summer Romance” by Annabelle Monaghan. It was a slower pace and felt it took a bit to get to the meat of the story.

But, I love that Monaghan’s books have a theme of second chances – Women going after their dreams, finding themselves again after heartbreak and starting over, finding love in the process, and this is no different.

Ethan’s character is a woman’s man. The kind of man we all dream of finding someday. The relationship he and Ali developed from the beginning is something to aspire to. Their chemistry jumps off the page and will give you all the butterflies, feet-kicking, 13-year-old girl crush, screaming into your pillow kind of feelings, which is why we read these stories, right?

I definitely recommend this one for those who love a sweet love story and dreamy landscapes to escape your daily life. It's a feel good summer read!

*Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the advanced copy.* You can pre-order now for the June release date.

I fully fell in love with this book, the way Annabel Monaghan captures lead characters is unparalleled. Summer Romance is very relatable if you're in your 30s (or 40s), and yet it gave me butterflies like a teenager. Ethan is a dreamy love interest who is even more enchanting as the story progresses. There's a beautiful discussion on grief and how we can lose our way planning, parenting, and trying to survive each day. I saw parts of Ali in me and I think almost every woman over 30 probably will. It was perfection, like any summer romance is, and I didn't want it to end!

My favorite Annabel Monaghan book yet. A smart, heartwarming novel about love, loss, family and self-discovery. I just loved the cast of characters and the setting. Delightful!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I was able to get an ARC of this book from NetGalley and I was so excited to be approved for this read.

Honestly in the beginning of the book I felt like it was slow and sort of depressing which really made me slowly go through the first chapters. However at 20% I felt the story picked up and I became very invested in the characters, story and could not put the book down. I really liked the MFC and MMC and their storyline and character development. I was very happy with the way the book ended and I would recommend this to anyone.

This book was such a cute, happy read and I am so glad I got to read it prior to release because I’ve been so excited for this since I heard Annabel Monaghan was releasing a new book.

Ethan is my new book boyfriend. Aw, who am I kidding, I absolutely love Ali too. Annabel has written two characters I’d love to meet, and a town I’d love to visit.

A meet-cute like none other leads to a summer romance for these two.

I love the supporting cast of characters and would love to see more of them and this little coastal NY town.

Ethan and his heart and antics had me grinning. I loved how he helped so many people grow and I loved how Ali also helped him find himself as well.

Annabel has a way of writing that makes you feel those same feelings the characters are throughout the story. Even though I know romance novels always have a happy ending, I was in tears during the plot twist between Ethan and Ali. That doesn’t happen too often to me with the amount of romance I tend to read. So thank you for that. These two characters will always have my heart.

Thank you NetGally and the publishers for letting me read an ARC of this novel for an early review.

Annabel Monaghan has done it again! This book delights from the beginning to the end with characters that sparkle and engage the reader. All Morris, single mother of three, is a professional organizer and her life is a mess. The return of Ethan Hogan, her friend’s little brother who has been crushing on her since their teens (and can still quote from her graduation speech), helps Ali to rediscover her best self. This book dishes equal parts humor and poignancy. Warning: you’ll stay up too late and neglect your to-do list because you’ll be compelled to find out what happens next! Advice: Add Ms. Monaghan’s previous offerings, Norah Goes Off Script and Same Time Next Summer to your TBR pile if you haven’t read them already.

I absolutely loved this book. Anybody who loved Nora goes off script would love this book as well. I read this book in one day, which rarely happens. Things to do today? Yes. Did I do them? Absolutely not.

This is the quintessential summer read! A professional organizer has allowed her own life to completely fall apart, but as the story begins, she resolves to do something about it. She's just looking for a fun summer romance and a little bit of life success, but finds so much more in this wonderful book. I look forward to recommending it to readers who enjoy contemporary romances with a light, humorous touch.

Another banger by Annabel! She continues to enthrall me with her perfect summer reads. Big fan of hers. I would rate this one as my 2nd fave out of her 3 books.

OMG love love love. There is absolutely nothing Annabel Monaghan could put out that I wouldn't devour in 24 hours. I loved reading this and rooted for the duo the entire time.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group for this ARC.

I absolutely loved the authors previous 2 books and this one was no disappointment!

Ali is a woman going through many things in life - her mother passed away, she is divorcing her husband, has 3 kids, works as a professional organizer, and juggling accepting her dad’s new family. Along the way, she reunites and connects with Ethan, aka Scooter.

Ali is relatable in so many ways and portrays many different thought processes and emotions. When she is alone, she talks to her deceased mother and sees life from her perspective on what she would say as a coping skill for grief. Throughout the book, she learns an important lesson that her mother taught her to cover up problems and be a pushover, instead of solving them and standing up for herself.

Throughout the divorce process, Ali and Ethan begin to have their own love affair, but she faces the dilemma of putting her feelings first or her children. She has faced a similar situation when her dad remarried and had children with another woman who treats her like her own daughter, but Ali has a hard time accepting this until she is put in the same position. She also learns how toxic her marriage to Pete was.

Motherhood is greatly highlighted throughout the book and I enjoyed the sweet connection that Greer and Ali created.

Overall, a quick read with many thought provoking topics.

I didn’t want this book to end yet couldn’t put it down! Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this early. Since Nora goes off script, I’ve been a huge fan of Annabel and this book is easily another favorite. I’m already looking forward to reading it again!

I quickly got sucked into Ali’s world. Her relationship with her kids and her grief with her mother’s death was beautiful to read about. I found her so relatable and like a friend that I was rooting for. Ethan was dreamy and fun.

I highly recommend reading this if looking for a feel good and beautiful love story.

I have loved all of Annabel Monaghan’s books and this book is no exception! It’s a quick read but the characters and plot keep you engaged and curious the entire time. If you liked Nora Goes Off Script, you will love this book!

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me access to the e-ARC for this book! I had previously read Annabel Monaghan’s <i>Nora Goes Off Script</i> and loved it.

Ali Morris is a mess two years after her mother died and one year into a divorce from a husband she never really loved. When she meets Ethan, who can never escape his childhood reputation as a screwup in his hometown, she thinks a “summer romance” might be the thing to pick her back up. And she is, of course, right. Ali and Ethan have immediate chemistry and the way their relationship evolved from Ali’s perspective felt really grounded. Had me wishing once or twice that this wasn’t a closed door romance.

One other thing I really liked about this book is that, while it is firstly a romance, it has a really strong subplot about Ali’s grief of losing her mother and learning to be her own person outside of her mother’s expectations. This sets the tone of some of Ali’s choices as well; is it better to love and lose when the summer ends, or never love at all? All of Ali’s friends and family, and especially her elderly neighbor are fully formed characters that I also grew to love. Really a breeze to read through and I enjoyed the whole time.