I just adore Annabel Monaghan's books! This one is the perfect summer reader with very likeable and relatable characters and a story that keeps me hooked and wanting it go on long after it is over.

Another fun beach read by Annabel Monaghan. This book will leave you feeling happy and thinking about life. The main character is a home organizer going through a divorce. She falls in love with someone in town that once caused lots of drama. The book will be great for a summer book club discussion.

Summer Romance is a coming of age journey of a 30 something, separated mom of three struggling through the grief of losing her mom, her marriage and her self.

Ali Morris is challenged by life’s circumstances to find her voice and herself with the help of her friends, neighbor, family and of course, a romance! The characters are well developed and likable (with the exception of the ex).

It is heartwarming, inspiring and relatable. Fans of Annabel Monaghan will not be disappointed with Summer Romance. It is everything you want, all wrapped up in a terrific summer read.

Summer can’t get here fast enough for this publication! Preorder your copy ASAP, you are going to love it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam Books for the complimentary eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Pub Date 04 June 2024

Summer Romance is the perfect summer read! As a parent myself, I love romances with parents as main characters, especially when they fall in love and explore themselves in the midst of raising a family. Ali is dealing with that and much more when Ethan reappears in her life. What starts as a sweet summer fling continues to grow, and the experience is delightful, with a fun amount of humor and a little bit of spice. Go to a beach and start reading ASAP!

this is a sweet, fun, emotional story! I loved seeing Ali branch out of her comfort zone and find so much love and fun, but I really connected with her fear and anxiety around her want to change up her normal lifestyle after her mom died and husband left-- those kinds of things leave us so raw and emotional, I can understand the urge to just step outside the life we have and step into another "fun" one. But Ethan and Ali have the sweetest, most fun summer romance that lets Ali feel fun and love and excitement again, and I love how Ethan makes her feel that while also being a safe space for her to land. while this story had the fun elements of a summer romance, "new me" style adventure, it also touched so well on how deep sadness, loneliness, and insecurities can make us want to just escape and the rewards of doing it in a safe way. overall, very sweet, fun, emotional read. thank you for the arc!!!!

I love how quiet this book felt. The everyday aspect of their relationship and how it opened up their future into something to live within and not hope for an escape from.

My first Annabel Monaghan book was "Same Time Next Summer" when it released last year and I immediately purchased "Nora Goes Off Script." When I saw that Annabel had written another "summer-love" book, I flew through it.

In this book, Ali Morris has recently been through a divorce and gotten out of a loveless marriage, when she runs into some random man at the dog park. When her dog quite literally picks him for her by peeing on his shoe, it was basically love at first sight. What she didn't realize was, it wasn't really first sight....

The dog park man just happened to be her best friends little brother, who was all grown up now.

Ethan engrained himself in every part of Ali's life, including her kids lives and even if she tried to fight it, she fell for him hard. When she tries to push him away, he fights for her and her family. He uproots his own life to fit with hers.

It's a beautiful story about giving love another chance & truthfully I couldn't recommend it enough. Also, if you love Carley Fortune, you'll love Annabel Monaghan.

✨ Best Friend's Brother
✨ Small Town
✨ Coping with Grief

Thank you to Putnam and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review. SUMMER ROMANCE is out June 4, 2024.

How cow! Annabel Monaghan seriously knows how to write a dang good novel. Summer Romance left me speechless.
The story begins with Ali's husband telling her that he wants a divorce on the anniversary of her mother's death while she is crying her eyes out making her mother's oatmeal cookie recipe. It highlights the struggles of Ali dealing with the mother's death but also navigating a life with three children alone. She then has the most adorable meet cute at the dog park with Ethan and the Summer Romance begins. He doesn't live in town so this will only be a summer romance right? But what happens when feelings go deeper and Ali and Ethan know in their bones they are meant to be together?
I cannot wait to read even more by Annabel. Her books never disappoint!

A special thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for an advanced digital copy of this book.

This was the 3rd romcom from Annabel Monaghan I've read and she does not disappoint. She hooked me immediately with her vivid description of making oatmeal cookies (I immediately craved butter and sugar!), but Monaghan's novels are so much richer than many romcoms. This heroine was inching towards 40 and a divorce mother of 3, and while she never criticized her body as she got involved with a new man, she did bemoan her Costco underwear! She mourned the death of her mother and also came to realize some anger she had towards her. As she worked through her divorce from a self-centered man, she also came to realize the part she played in the demise of her relationship. The relationship with her kids - from the 5yo son who still adored her and crawled onto her lap to the 13yo daughter who was critical and withdrawn - was very real. And her new romance was delicious from day 1!

I adore Annabel Monaghan's books so much, while this was not my favorite of hers- it is still such a great beach read! Ali ( a professional organizer) best friend, her mom, passes away and just two years later her husband leaves her. After struggling, she finally takes off her wedding ring and puts on "hard pants" to start over. It always happens when you are not looking, but at the dog park she meets someone and what she thinks is a Summer Romance, may be something more. I loved all of the characters and story line...highly recommend!

I absolutely adored this story and all the characters in it. It is extremely relatable, as many mothers feel like they have lost themselves when motherhood, marriage and life doesn’t go as planned or expected.

This is a story about Ali who has lost her way after her mother’s passing and her husband leaving her. For a professional organizer, her life is an absolute mess. One day she decides to take her ring off and put on her “hard” or real pants, then meets someone at the dog park…the meet cute is charming much like the rest of the book. After a few dates and help with her mediation/divorce, Ali finds her confidence and her way back to being herself…and it is all thanks to Ethan. The only problem is Ethan’s life is elsewhere and he is only in town temporarily. But it’s only a summer romance, right? Or is it…

A special thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for an advanced digital copy of this book.

If you have not read Same Time Next Summer or Nora Goes Off Script, another two gems by this author.

Summer Romance is such a poignant read - I loved Ethan and Ali's romance and character development in the book. Annabel Monaghan's writing always works to heal a piece of me - and this book was no exception. This book's pacing was slower - it was not plot-driven, but it allowed you to get a holistic sense of the character's world and emotions. Each character's experiences were richly portrayed. I thoroughly enjoyed this book (4/5 stars).

This was such a fun "Second Chance" Romance! (But not the type of second chance trope we are used to!)

This was my first Annabel Monaghan novel and I am sad I'm late to the party. I loved how Ali grew back into herself, with the help of "immature" Scooter, reminding her of who she was before her marriage. She learned to stand up for herself and take chances, and she became the role model for her children she wanted to be. Monaghan has written what it means to be a mother while navigating new relationships in such an honest way.

The story moved smoothly, and kept me reading throughout the entire book. Monaghan has brought to life what it means to truly be yourself and make yourself happy, again.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy of #SummerRomance

☀️Summer Romance☀️

⭐️⭐️
Author: Annabel Monaghan
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: June 4th, 2024

From the author of Nora Goes Off Script and Same Time Next Summer, comes a new “summer romance” as the title implies.

Ali Morris has lost her mom and asked for a divorce all within the last 2 years. She is now the single mom to three kids, and is a personal organizer as a living, yet her own life is disorganized and chaotic. Life is not looking up for Ali, but the day she takes off her wedding ring, she attracts the attention of a man at a dog park. With the chaos of 3 kids, a pending divorce, and a new summer fling, Ali struggles to not self sabotage and allow herself to accept love again.

I feel horrible rating this book only 2 stars since it has incredible arc reviews already, but I was bored for nearly the whole book. I personally find it weird for a young adult romance to be about a romance between mid 30s adults. The novel tackles adult issues, yet was written in a young adult way. I couldn’t feel the chemistry between Ethan and Ali, which made it really hard to believe and become invested in the romance while reading. I also am not a fan in general of characters talking to their dead loved ones regularly through out the book, which there was a lot of between Ali and her dead mother. I have yet to read the authors other two popular novels, so I can’t speak on if this is just how her writing is, but I definitely want to try out her other books to see. Thinns author could just not be a good fit for me.

Annabel Monaghan is so clever and funny and writes about the real-life mom stuff that makes me feel validated. This was a joy to read. Ali makes me want to clean off my kitchen counters and take all of the risks because life is too short!

Smart and fun and quirky and all of the best things in a great book!

Summer Romance is easily my favorite Annabel Monaghan book so far. This book is so raw and emotional while at the same time being so HEALING. I sobbed through the ending in a way that I haven't in a long time. The way this book handles grief is so beautiful and so painful at the same time.

Ethan was such a dreamy love interest and I LOVED how obsessed with Ali he was. I loved getting to read about Ali falling back in love with herself and in love with Ethan at the same time. I also really loved Greer's storyline and although I don't have kids, I feel like that part of the story is really going to help lots of mamas out there.

Overall, this is one of my favorite books of the year and you definitely all need to pick it up on June 4th!!!

I have loved Annabel Monaghan’s other books, and Summer Romance was no different. Monaghan writes utterly relatable fmcs and swoon worthy, perfectly imperfect mmcs.

After losing her mother and separating from her husband, Ali has had a rough few years. She no longer wear’s “hard pants” and has lost herself somewhere along the way. So when her husband calls her up and declares it’s time for a divorce, Ali takes the opportunity to turn her life back around. She puts on something that isn’t sweatpants, and takes her dog to the dog park, where he promptly pees on the only single man there, while another woman is flirting with him. Fortunately for Ali, Ethan only has eyes for her, and she quickly learns it’s because he’s someone from her past who has, likewise, gotten his life together after some tough times. While Ethan is only in town for the summer, Ali thinks a summer romance might be just what she needs. Add that Ethan is a lawyer who has agreed to help her in her divorce case in return for some assistance going through his parents things to get their house ready to sell, and Ali is all in. But what happens when she wants her summer romance to last longer than the summer?

I loved so many things about this book that it’s hard to name them all. I’ll start by saying that Ethan is the perfect guy - the one who is so supportive, encourages Ali to stand up for herself (by showing her how it’s done), and thinks Ali is the greatest thing since sliced bread. The way he and Ali handle the divorce mediation sessions is so well balanced - a touch of humor mixed with a heaping dose of comeuppance for her terrible ex. Ali’s arc through the book is well done moving from her depressive state to happy and feeling herself again, which is somehow very believable and realistic in the books short time span. I enjoyed every minute of reading this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC of this ebook!

What an excellent way to start your summer (2024)!! As the reader learns how Ali Morris might be able to organize the lives of others, her own feels like it is going to shambles. Absolutely adorable characterization and truly pulls at the heart strings of the reader. A new love interest is just the thing Ali needs to repair the holes and move on with life.

I have a new favorite rom-com writer. Wow, I loved this. The way Annabel intertwines motherhood, grief and love, while keeping her characters kind and believable…. I didn’t want this one to end.

Since my version was an arc, I’m not really supposed to pull quotes in my review. However! The line “And then she died.” is exactly how I started my first journal entry after my dad died (with the pronouns swapped of course). That sentiment may seem simple, but it’s a clear line in the sand. It’s the ultimate transition point.

Things were this way, and then she died…
So I had to figure things out on my own.

I was this person, and then she died.
And now I am a different person.

I’m babbling, but I’m assuming it makes sense if you’re in the dead parent club.

And this book will fill your cup as you read about Ali’s journey to becoming a new person after losing her mom.

But yeah. This is a rom-com book, I swear. It just goes beyond the typical tropes and flat storylines. I hope you’ll read it when it comes out! I know I’m buying a copy or three.


Thank you so much to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for selecting me to read an early copy. And thank you to Annabel Monaghan for writing such a fun, heartfelt book.

Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam and Netgalley for an ARC of this book which I voluntarily read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

When I picked up SUMMER ROMANCE, I was in that weird in-between of just having finished one book but also having a whole day before the last installment of a series I’ve really enjoyed dropped. My plan had been to occupy myself with Annabel Monaghan’s newest until I could dive into that other book, but SUMMER ROMANCE was SO captivating and relevant and heartfelt that I couldn’t put it down until I found out how the summer romance between Ali and Ethan ended.

Ali is getting divorced, her mother—her closest confidant—has passed away, and while she has no problem organizing other people’s houses, Ali can’t seem to find the energy to devote to organizing her own. All of that changes when her dog pees on Ethan’s leg at the dog park. Romantic, no?

What follows is an absolutely heartwarming story of not only a summer romance between two people who really see one another and want what’s best for each other, but also growth and rediscovery that kept my attention so well that I felt zero FOMO for not reading that other book.

5 ⭐️s and SUMMER ROMANCE will be another one of Annabel Monaghan’s books I’ll be adding to my library!