I absolutely loved this one from Annabel Monaghan. The story centers around 38-year-old Ali, who is in the midst of a divorce one year after the passing of her mom. Ali may be one of my favorite FMCs I’ve read this year. She’s strong, yet broken. Honest, yet guarded. The arc of her own growth and rediscovering herself was incredibly beautiful to read.

And Ethan? YES, PLEASE. I always love the “best friend’s brother” trope and this one delivered. I also loved that Monaghan didn’t delay the best friend finding out. I think it added a certain something to the storyline as we watched their relationship evolve.

If you’re looking for a wonderfully well-done book about second chances, I highly recommend this one from Monaghan.

ONE OF MY FAVORITE ROMANCES OF THE YEAR!!!

First off - there's just something so special about Annabel Monaghan's writing style. She crafts such human characters with amazing chemistry as well as settings that are so vivid you feel like you're in a movie. Her stories are short and to-the-point, every single word feeling intentional. Her ability to craft such seemingly simple stories that hit you in the feels every time is masterful.

SUMMER ROMANCE might just be my favorite Monaghan book so far. Both Ali and Ethan were perfectly crafted characters who I loved rooting for, and being alongside Ali on her journey was such a gift. I feel like I learned so much just by accompanying her on this "coming-of-self" journey. This book tackled so many tough subjects with grace, and I never felt bogged down by the serious moments because they were so well-balanced with moments of levity and happiness.

And the romance??? I was obsessed with the way Ali and Ethan connected. It felt a little insta-love-y, but not in a bad way. I love a best friend's brother trope, but I loved it even more seeing it played out with older characters who really know themselves and what they want.

Overall, a five star read that I will be convincing everyone I know to pick up!

Beach Read season is here! We’ll have a slew of beach approved romance reads for the summer and the first of our recs is Summer Romance from @annabelmonaghan
Every summer I’ve looked forward to a beach ready read from Annabel. Always a great sweet story and beautifully written. This year’s summer read appropriately titled Summer Read checked all the boxes for the {chef’s kiss} of a summer read.

Ali’s been living in a bit of a fog after the loss of her mom and her husband declaring the need for a divorce. As Ali tries to pull herself out of the fog she has a hilarious meet cute with Ethan. The meeting sparks some semblance of light through the fog for Ali. In the realization that what started as a summer romance Ethan and Ali are forced to question whether they can actually let each other go at the end of the summer.

Another home run of a perfect beach read. And not only because it takes place in a small beach town. Annabel writes characters that are so relatable you can actually draw similarities to people in real life. Ali is this. The story of Ali having lost herself is real life business. It’s hard not to especially when you become a wife then a mom and lose your previous career minded aspirations. I loved the reincarnation of Ali as she delves into her relationship with Ethan and he helps to bring her out of her fog.

This will be on all the beach reads of 2024 lists and rightfully so. A 5 ⭐️ read that I’ve already been recommending to anyone that’s been asking for recommendations!

Thanks to @netgalley and @annabelmonaghan for a chance to ARC read this in exchange for my honest review!

Touching, fun and relatable. I fell in love with Ali and the cast of characters. Would recommend for a summer read!

I loved Nora Goes Off Script, and Annabel Monaghan's new novel, Summer Romance, is getting a lot of buzz. This one has a cute plot and is a great lighthearted book for the summer. I really loved how the main female character was in her late 30s. So may rom-coms have young characters, so this was refreshing

I appreciate the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a honest review.

Sigh. Why can’t every book be this good? Five stars rounded up and up. Just like Same Time Next Summer was last year, I suspect Summer Romance will end up being one of my favorite books I read this summer.

Cute. Kismet, childhood crush, second chances, and so much more. There's death, learning from it, failed marriage, self discovery, healthy outlets. Ugh, great summer read. Quick and easy to finish!

This book was so good! The cover drew me in from the beginning and I was so excited to read it! So thankful I was given a copy. If you are wanting the perfect summer read, this will be it. This book showed the chaos of life and truly making the best of it.

Another great summer romance from Annabel Monaghan! Ali and Ethan had great chemistry and I loved watching their "just for summer" romance turn into something more. The small town setting was great, as was Ali's self discovery of life, love, and single motherhood following her divorce.

I rated this book 4.75 stars. This was such a cute, quick, summer read. Ali is such a girlboss and the author does such a good job at portraying the ways grief can affect your life. I now want me a man like Ethan. He is such a sweet guy and it's so cute of how well he gets along with all the kids like they are his own. I loved this book. I was laughing and giggling the whole time while reading this. I would 100% recommend this book to everyone.

Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

This is a wonderful summer read! Ali is a single mom of 3 kiddos who is going through a divorce and grieving her mother when *enters love interest* Ethan waltzes in and not only does a romance build but so does so much trust and love!!

This book was a smooth read and kept me interested! If you’re looking for a summer romance feel but with some strong emotions, this is the book for you! Also if you despise a miscommunication trope (like me 🙋🏽‍♀️) you will also like this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Absolutely fantastic plot! Could not put the book down once I began reading it. So happy this book is finally out. I will recommend it to everyone I know!

Thanks to Penguin Books and Netgalley for this advanced copy.

What a wonderful and perfect summer book! Monaghan has really nailed the summer romance. Ali is coming out of the fog of a bad marriage and runs into a hot guy, who just happens to be her best friend's little brother and from there we get a great tale of Ali coming into her own and knowing what support and love can do for you. I loved the characters and the pacing of this. The story kept moving, but not so fast I couldn't keep up or needed to pause.

Monaghan is a must read at this point and it's a perfect book for the beach or pool, or really anywhere.

4.5 stars. I really enjoyed this book! Ali is navigating grief for her mother and her marriage, although less so for the latter. Ethan is unwillingly back in his hometown after his parents announce they're moving to Florida and leaving their house and inn to him, but he doesn't want any part of it. When they meet at the dog park after her dog pees on his foot, she doesn't realize that she used to know him. As their relationship develops (as you knew it would!), she has to juggle single motherhood, a belittling ex, and her own business. Ethan has a lot of things pulling him back to the town he lives in, including being a mentor and friend to a group of teens. Figuring out for themselves what they each want rather than being at the whims of other people is at the center of this story. I liked the character development and growth as well as the dose of humor. Their issues were not trivial or juvenile, and Ali's kids were a welcome and important part of the story rather than just cardboard cutout children. All the pieces came together very effectively and enjoyably.

I loved this book! I devoured it in less than 48 hours. The characters were well developed and the story line was one that kept me wanting to read more.

Ali has just become separated from her husband and is unsure how to navigate life now as a single mom. Her soon to be ex is unreliable and she recently lost her mother. She meets Ethan and things start to change. Will they be okay with just a summer romance or is she ready to start her life afresh with Ethan? I loved it.

I didn't think it was possible but which each book Annabel Monaghan keeps getting better! This book absolutely knocked my socks off! I loved and adored it so much. Ali and Scooter may be my two new favorite book characters!

She keeps knocking it out of the park with her summer reads and I already can't wait to see what she is going to put out next year!

Annabel Monaghan has become the queen of the summer romance and I look forward to her writing every year. Her stories are relatable and her characters are authentic and endearing. This is the perfect book to sit with by the pool or beach! The perfect length and such an enjoyable romance.

Thanks to PRH International for the free book <3 #PrhinternationalPartner #ad

Here's an author who always gives me stories that touch my heart with their simplicity, because they talk about life and relationships in such a normal and natural way you can't help but find yourself involved.
Annabel Monaghan always presents "open-hearted," unfiltered protagonists who show their strengths and vulnerabilities without hiding anything, and this makes them so human you can't help but love them in their qualities and flaws. In fact, seeing Ali live and deal with the problems and cracks of her broken marriage, and gradually understanding that some of them were related to her mother's presence in her life ( I didn't expect it and it was a great original choice!) really touched me. I was sorry for her, and at the same time I loved to see how she took her life into her own hands.
And can we talk about Ethan? I was conquered by this calm, kind and reliable man, that the majority of people underestimates. He won me over and I wanted the book to be a little bit longer, just to have more scenes with him. I enjoyed and appreciated how he handled Ali's divorce, and I suffered a little from the third act breakup, but the resolution of it all was nice. Maybe a little bit fast, but nice.
I still don't give it a full score because in my opinion there could have been a little more focus on some aspects and themes, however, Summer Romance is definitely a great book to read under the sunshade.
Now, can we have a longer and less open epilogue?

SUMMER ROMANCE was a lovely and heartwarming story, with the same humor and warmth as all of Annabel Monaghan’s books. Really enjoyed the character development and the ease with which the story flowed.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Books for the opportunity to read and review SUMMER ROMANCE.