Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

Another romantic masterpiece by Annabel Monaghan! This is so delightfully BRILLIANT. The characters are so realistic, and you can't help becoming fully invested in the outcome.

Ali is a professional "organizer"...but her own life is anything but. She is truly a mess with a capital M. Her husband left her and the kids on the anniversary of her mother's death. I truly loathed her ex, Pete. He is a total tool! Ali is finally at the realization that something has to give...she must put on her big girl pants (not sweatpants!) and somehow move forward in her life that has become stagnant by her grief.

Enter swoony Ethan and the perfect remedy for starting to live again, a summer romance! Ali and Ethan have the cutest meet cute ever and a dreamy first date...then Ali discovers the true identity of who Ethan is: her best friend's younger brother, Scooter now all grown up!

The backstories are so emotionally charged! Ethan trying to break away from his youthful identity that his family and the town hold onto. Ali also trying to rebuild her identity and find the woman she used to be. She was shut down so long by her ex but also her beloved mother who always stepped in to help which in essence prevented Ali from doing things and to be her own person.

I adored Ethan so much! If I wasn't a married woman and he wasn't a fictional character...be still my heart! lol This book had it all, kids and dogs, and sweetness overload. I appreciated that we had mature, flawed characters who were simply trying to become better people. They communicated and supported one another...and just got each other. It was refreshing that our couple acted their age, too. The emotional depth captured me as much as the heartfelt romance and the journey to discovering how to fully live.

I'm still smiling!

5 stars

The author's books always start off slow for me, but I end up really enjoying them, and this one was no exception Despite being heavier than I originally anticipated this was a great summer read.

Ali Morris, a professional organizer with a not-so-organized life, is dealing with the loss of the mother she put on a pedestal and a recent divorce. When life takes a surprising turn when she meets Ethan, thanks for her dog. Ethan sees through her lack of "hard pants" for who she truly is. I loved this trope ( I won't ruin the small surprise). Balancing emotional depth with some laugh-out-loud moments, this book is the perfect blend of romance and growth.

This was definitely a cute book that kept my interest with Ali learning to move on after she’s getting divorced and her mother has passed. It definitely felt like a cute summer romance with a vibrant community!

I was excited to read Annabel Monoghan's newest release. I enjoyed several of Monoghan's previous releases including Nora Goes Off Script.

Ali Morris has had a rough spell to say the least. Her beloved mother dies and her husband announces that he no longer loves her or wants to be married. As a mother of three younger children, Ali is sliding through life in autopilot until her best friend's younger brother returns to their hometown. What could be better than a summer romance? Will Ali get more than she bargains for in a summer romance?

This is a fun easy "beach read" with some substance. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you Netgalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for the opportunity to read this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I had high hopes for this to be a great summer read but it fell short for me. The meeting of the FMC and MMC felt rushed to me. And the writing style was just not the right fit for me.

This is a fun beach read about a woman named Ali who loses her mom, her marriage, and herself. Now a single mother navigating the stress of a divorce and custody of her three great kids, she meets Ethan at the dog park. Except, Ethan is really Scooter, the younger brother of Ali's best friend, who is only in town a short while. Everyone is shocked when Ali and Ethan start dating, saying Scooter has never been reliable. But Ethan has grown up - he's not the young foolish kid he used to be and the more Ali gets to know him, she realizes more and more about herself and the backseat she has put herself in her whole life. Life is complicated though - Ethan lives 4 hours away and Ali is not about to uproot her 3 kids. Will this be a summer fling, or is there a way it could blossom into something more?

Super sweet book with relatable characters going through circumstances that were real and vulnerable. A good summer read with the right amount of lightheartedness and depth! Thank you kindly to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this title.

I really love Annabel Monaghan so this was a no brainer for me. This was nice and enjoyable but I didn't think it was anything CRAZY good. It was just...nice. I was waiting for the moment when Ali makes a stupid decision due to a lack of communication and sure enough, there it was. But although Ethan was upset he didn't doubt her AT ALL and made giant life decisions on assumptions. He seemed too good to be true, especially after his high school reputation. In any event, this was still enjoyable and I would still recommend it and this author.

An absolute delight! Monaghan has a gift for making you feel like your truly know a character. Exploring grief, how it changes us, how we cope with the fact that those we have loved and lost were still only human, all done with such beauty and tenderness. And yet, it’s still a romance! With a decently good walking green flag velour tracksuit wearing man! It’s still early, but this one is in the running for my favorite summer romance. I’ve had a book hangover ever since.

Light, engaging, and thoughtful, Summer Romance might be a perfect addition to your beach bag this summer.

Ali finds herself in a tough situation. She’s grieving the passing of her mom and the loss of her marriage. Ali’s a professional organizer whose life and cupboards are a mess. One day she meets someone in the park and sparks fly. There’s no harm in a summer romance, is there?

I love thoughtful and substantial women’s fiction that has more to offer than romance. Since reading Managhan’s debut, Nora Goes Off Script, I’ve been a fan of this author. She doesn’t try too hard or over-write. Her characters are complex and multilayered, her writing is engaging, and her themes are thoughtful. Although there’s drama, her stories are not trauma-filled. Heartfelt, but no ugly crying. I have her on my auto-buy and auto-request list. For readers who love spice and steam, the bedroom door is not firmly closed, but explicit details are minimal. Some readers prefer firmly closed-door (sweet and chaste). but I find Monaghan’s books just about right for my reading tastes.

Monaghan’s Ali is relatable and some of us can imagine experiencing what she experiences. Ali is starting over after difficult losses, picking up the pieces of her life after grief, and rebuilding after a failed marriage. Ali faces all this in realistic ways and with a sense of humor. Not too snarky, but entertaining and authentic. Her love interest is a stand-up guy, and their dogs add an element of cuteness to the story. These are characters you can root for.

Content Consideration: grief, loss of a mom, deserted by a husband

If you loved Nora Goes Off Script, I can recommend Summer Romance for this summer’s TBR. Light, engaging, and thoughtful, it might be a perfect addition to your beach bag. Book Clubs might enjoy this one and find lots to discuss.

Thanks #NetGalley @PenguinUSA @PutnamBooks for a complimentary e ARC of #SummerRomance upon my request. All opinions are my own.

I am a huge fan of Annabel Monahan's first novel Nora Goes Off Script and now I am a huge fan of Summer Romance. Ali is in the midst of a divorce and grieving the death of her beloved mother. She is stuck. Although she has a small business as an organizer, her house is a mess. On a visit to the dog park, she meets a good looking man named Evan. He is interested in her, but he seems too good to be true. After a promising first date, she learns that he is her good friend's unreliable younger brother "Scooter." Ali has had enough of unreliable men, but Evan seems different. Ali is so attracted to him that she gives him a chance. In some ways Evan seems too good to be true. Their relationship is easy in a way that Ali's marriage never was. But Ali has three children and strong ties to her hometown while Evan lives several hours away. Will this just be a summer romance? I like how Ali's relationship[p with Evan causes Ali to reevaluate her marriage and how she realizes she allowed certain things to happen which diminished her. While I don't like the man as savior trope, I did feel that her growth was realistic even if her relationship with Evan gave her the push and support she needed to make some changes, I particularly like Ali's relationship with her preteen daughter Greer and the honest discussions they had. Those discussions also led Ali to rethink her marriage. Evan's struggles with his family who have never acknowledged how much he has changed since he was a problem teenager adds some complexity to his character. I highly recommend this romance.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

LOVED THIS! The perfect summer read!

Ali Morris’ life isn’t exactly panning out the way she had planned. Fresh into a separation from her husband and still grieving the death of her beloved mother two years prior, Ali isn’t worn “real” pants in god knows how long. As a professional organizer, she finds herself incapable of even organizing her own life.

When Ali runs into an attractive fellow dog owner at the dog park - she’s taken by his care free persona and the way he sees her as more than a failed marriage and mother of three kids. When Ali finds out this handsome stranger is no other than her best friend’s younger brother who is in town for the summer - she starts to wonder if maybe a summer romance is exactly what she needs.

Summer Romance is equally as lovely as Annabel Monaghan’s two earlier novels, Nora Goes Off Script and Same Time Next Summer. Romantic and heartfelt - Summer Romance captures the essence of falling in love for the first time after heartbreak and the changing dynamics that come with both being a mother and losing your parents. This NEEDS to be on your summer reading list.

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, Annabel Monaghan and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I wanted to love it based on the synopsis and the hype but it was lacking in every way possible. Save your money

I would give anything to climb back into this world for a few more minutes! Monaghan’s FMCs are so real to me that it feels like I just got back from a lunch with Ali where she told me everything that’s been going on in her life.

I am floored by the author’s ability to weave complex topics such as grief, divorce, and parenting into a somehow also lighthearted story about how finding the right person can help you regain control of your life.

I’m excited to have another auto-buy author on my list. Thank you, Annabel Monaghan, for choosing to write such strong, complicated, loving women!
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📚 Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Group Putnam, and Annabel Monaghan for the ARC of “Summer Romance” in exchange for my honest review!

Loved this one even more than Nora Goes Off Script! Great summer beach read for Millennials who may find themselves transitioning into a new chapter in life. Heartwarming and fun!

This is THE summer reading !!! Perfect to binge on the beach. So cute, fast paced, the dogs??? Yes count me in. Ethan the man you are!! It has the perfect amount of emotion, fun and spice. P E R F E C T

Love love loved this so so much! Annabel Monaghan is one of my favorite romance writers out there and this is no exception. Absolutely a knockout book for your summer romance vibes!

I wanted to like this book. Maybe it's the end of school year chaos but the book seemed very slow. Ali is divorced, raising her 3 children, a doormat to her ex-husband, still grieving her mother's death. She runs into a guy and somehow wants to become a stronger person. Spoiler, she does, but the book dragged for me.

4.5 stars! ⭐️

I loved this one - perfect summer romance vibes!
(just as the title suggests 😂)

I really enjoyed that while the romance was key, it wasn’t the whole focus of the plot. Ali’s growth, self discovery and grief was so honest and moving but the book still felt lighthearted overall.

I can’t wait to read more of Annabel’s books in the future - thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC!

Summer romance was an adorable contemporary read where there was a lot of growth in all the characters. I loved the two leads and their chemistry and was rooting for them the whole way through. I loved the idea that the male lead had feelings for her since childhood only to have them realized as an adult. Definitely recommend.