last year, same time next summer was one of my last summer reads of the year, and i took that to heart and in 2024 this is one of my last summer reads again. annabel monaghan is such a great summer romance ( ;) ) author and i will say she is definitely an auto buy for me.

i adored ethan and ali so much, together and individually. i definitely recommend this to all my romance girlies looking to get a pretty short romance read in before the last of the season <3

3.5 rounded up. Overall I liked the characters and enjoyed the plot. It pales in comparison to Nora goes off script- maybe my expectations were too high. Although extremely predictable, it was a very sweet story. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

This was my first Annabel Monaghan book. I really enjoyed her writing style and will be reading more of her books in the future. It was such a great and easy read. I loved Ali and Scooter, they are perfect for each other. I loved that Scooter gave Ali advice on how to make a connection with her teenage daughter and helped open a door for her with her daughter. I loved when Ali would talk to her Mom in the car too.

I really enjoy Annabel Monaghan's books. They're such a good blend of romance and women's fiction. This story was heartwarming and funny. I loved reading how the characters experienced growth. The setting was perfect and made me nostalgic for summer!

Annabel Monaghan is an auto-read for me. This is the third adult book of hers I've read - and loved.

I wondered if this one would be too similar to her other summer book SAME TIME NEXT SUMMER, but it wasn't!

I enjoyed Ali's realistic life of a divorced mom with all of the joys (and baggage) her life brought. I also thought the way her and Ethan worked their relationship around the kids (not too much, too soon) was also realistic.

Ethan was a complete cinnamon roll and perhaps a tad too perfect. Who cares?!? They meshed together with sizzle and longing and they were always meant to be.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for an e-copy of SUMMER ROMANCE to review.

I rate SUMMER ROMANCE five out of five stars.

This book was a page turning delight! 4.4 stars!!

If you love books that are going to pull on your heartstrings, then keep reading, because this might be for you. Ali is a soon to be divorced mother trying to make it one day at a time, but that does not include pants with buckles. (Relatable!)

Cue Scooter, her best friend’s younger brother. (Score!!)

This book is full of other fabulous tropes like forced proximity, characters in their 30’s, and closed door romance.

It is a fantastic read!

I really related to Ali, the female main character. She’s described as a professional organizer whose life is a mess and she often comments on how she can help others but can’t seem to help herself. I love how this book shows her growth and how she processes things as she has a summer romance with Ethan. I really enjoy how she comes to realizations and it feels realistic and gradual. The way her children are woven into it is also so realistic. I love the relationship she has with Ethan and the story is full of heart and cozy moments!

2 stars

I believe this author is just not for me. This is the second book I've read by Annabel Monaghan and I just haven't vibed with her writing style. I also feel like the more I read into this story, the more and more I felt uninterested in what happened with the characters. I'm totally admitting that I know this is a me problem because several of my friends have read this one and the author's other work and have loved it.

Another great book by Annabel Monaghan! Summer Romance is a heartwarming novel about a newly single mother grappling with grief and rediscovering love. A charming setting with loveable characters. The perfect summer read! Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

Annabel Managhan’s books really hit the spot for me!
My ranking after reading Summer Romance:
1. Nora Goes off Script
2. Summer Romance
3. Same Time Next Summer
She writes such incredible characters and I love when the MC is a bit older. This isn’t just a fluffy summer book. Read if you like your romances with a little depth.

loved it!!! I was crying happy tears and sad tears all throughout. I love second chance romance and/or older leads. I really enjoying the setting of this as well I really want to visit the area. Great closed door romance!

What a sweet summer read! I have really enjoyed all the other Annabel Monaghan books I've read and this one is yet another hit for me. I love that her characters are always actual adults and have very real, relatable life problems. This book tackles the grief of losing a parent, divorce, raising children, rediscovering yourself and finding new love in such a beautiful way. The FMC feels like someone you know and love and her journey to finding herself again throughout the book is so well depicted through Monaghan's writing. I would describe the romance piece of this just like her other novels where it is just a hint of spice while always keeping it PG-13. There's also an adorable meet-cute with a dog which I'm forever a total sucker for.

If you're looking for a light, breezy, summer romance read, look no further!

A heart warming and feel good summer read. This is my first novel by Monaghan and it definitely won’t be my last. Her characters were beautifully written and I fell in love with Ethan immediately. I love a romance where the whole book by the end is just wrapped up in a perfect little bow.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

Summer Romance follows Ali Morris's life. Right off the bat we are introduced to so many heavy topics such as grief and divorce. As a wife and mother I really appreciated how the author was able to go over these tough topics. I think that Ethan was the perfect MMC. Ali and Ethan had the greatest communication system and it was a breath of fresh air!

Woman gets divorced. Woman becomes smitten with a handsome man only to later learn it's her BFF's brother, who went away and came back to the hometown extremely handsome and sexy. It's a trope, sure, but a fun one. Annabel Monaghan's latest has more depth than your typical summertime romance read, and it was enjoyable start to finish. Trigger warning for grief - but those sections were among the most poignant.

After her husband leaves her, Ali decides to put herself back out there. She meets Ethan at a dog park when her dog actually pees on him. She's only looking for a summer romance, but Ethan is so much more than that. I really enjoyed this story and Ali's journey after divorce and losing her mother. This is the 3rd book I have read by Annabel Monaghan, and I have really enjoyed them all!

This romance was beautiful and so sweet. the perfect summer romance indeed. Ali finding love and choosing herself was such a beautiful thing to read about and experience. Loved it.

Romance may be in the title but this is more of a woman’s journey to finding herself again. Sure there is romance and a sweet relationship but this book is mostly about Ali finding herself at the lowest point and finding the courage and strength to rise from it and to build a new future. The story was very sweet but I was looking for more from the relationship and less about the personal growth. I would say this is much more a women’s fiction novel. I prefer a full fledged romance.

I would say this is more women's fiction than romance, and while a well written book I found I could not relate to the main character. As someone much younger and childless, I just could not connect. However, if you are in that stage of life I would imagine this would be a very comforting read and I am glad Annabel Monaghan is writing books for more people, not just young carefree 20 somethings that most romances are about.