I just finished Summer Romance and I was SO enchanted with Ali and Ethan. They were the perfect pair. I love Annabel's books because they're older, more relateable adults who've had life experience. They're characters my age who I can engage with. Summer Romance is a grand slam!

This romance checked so many boxes for me! Best friend’s brother; single, divorced mother; second-act romance; great banter; heartwarming love story; adorable kids! Summer Romance was such a gem and the perfect warm-weather, beachy read. It had me craving lobster rolls and time by the ocean, and honestly, I just loved every second of it! So bingeable, lovable, and heartwarming!!

Put this high on your summer reading list and get ready, because it hits shelves June 4!!

Available 6/4! This was an easy, light summer read. This is a romance but it’s also a book about rediscovering and loving yourself. Ali is a mother of 3 and a professional organizer. Two years ago her mother died and a year later her husband asked her to separate. Ali has been living in a fog and sweatpants ever since until she wakes up and decides to take off her wedding ring and put on real pants. That's all it takes for her to meet a handsome guy at the dog park who makes her feel something for the first time in years. He’s temporarily in town and she’s in no place for a relationship, but when has a summer romance ever been a bad idea?

A lot of people love and rave about Annabel Monaghan’s books, but I’ve never fully gotten the hype. Her leading ladies tend to be women who have taken a back seat in their lives and I have a hard time connecting with those types of characters. I’m also not a mom (and her characters often are) so that might be another reason why I felt a disconnect.

Despite the fact I didn’t connect with Ali, I did like Ethan (the leading man) and thought he was a sweet MMC. The tension and anticipation gave me butterflies- which isn’t always easy to achieve in a closed-door romance!

Tropes: best friend’s brother, closed door, single mom, summer romance, meet-cute, late-30s MCs

Thanks to @PutnamBooks for the ARC!

3.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
1/5 spice 🌶️

This was so lovely! I adored Nora Goes Off Script, but Annabel Monaghan's second books wasn't my favorite, so I went into this was cautious optimism. This ended up being very on par with Nora Goes Off Script, which I was delighted about. I immediately fell so in love with Ethan, and I just wanted Ali to have everything she's ever wanted.

I did find parts of this frustrating, mainly Ali's dialogue. I know the point was that Ali is stifled and feels like she's lost herself, but sometimes it felt like she just gave us nothing. I wanted to yell at her to say MORE so many times. I also wanted a bit more of a comeuppance with Pete, but it probably is more realistic to keep them civil.

All in all, this was really sweet and had a cast of lovable characters in a small town setting. Being in this world feels so warm and inviting.

Thanks to Netgalley and Putnam for the ARC!

This emotional story is not to be skipped. Ali has been swallowed up by her marriage(her ex sucks) and with the grief of losing her mother. She meets(really meets again) Ethan and slowly wakes up and restarts her life. Ethan has been staying away from his home town, but can't stay away from Ali. His sister is friends with Ali so that complicates things at first. Ali also has 3 kids that she's trying to be protective of. Ethan is such a presence that is impossible to not love him. This book is easy to get wrapped up in and will make you feel all the feels. I'm quickly becoming a huge fan of this author as her other works are just as addictive.

Summer Romance
By Annabel Monaghan

I loved both the MCs, Ali and Ethan as they like to be called. Ali is an organizer whose life is a mess. In the last two years her Mom has died and she and her husband have separated. She moved back to her hometown a beach town called Beechwood, NY after she married and started having kids. Once an accountant in NYC, she is a stay at home mom who can organize anyone’s life but her own.

Her meet cute with Ethan happens in the park and involves their dogs. Ethan is visiting family after moving away. His family and the town can’t let go of his wayward past. The couple have a spark and a connection in Frankie, Ali’s best friend and Ethan’s sister.

Now there are some bumps, leaps of faith and a big obstacle but you will be rooting for Ali and Ethan. They are witty, funny, love their neighbors and have a running gag with Ali’s Ex. All the characters are relatable and most highly likable. Ali’s struggle with her confidence, standing up to her Ex, her relationship with her children, and her grief are real challenges that hit close to home for me. I learned some tips on organizing from Ali and skate boarding from Ethan.

It’s probably obvious I like Annabel Monaghan’s books and writing. If I had any issues it would be how the characters never have to really worry about money, don’t have to worry about job security and they are only gorgeous and super talented. Lives, character development and quirks add depth. Thank you to the author, NetGalley and G. P. Putnam’s Sons, New York for an advanced reader’s digital copy.

Annabel Monaghan does it again! There isn’t anything she writes that I won’t read! Definitely a perfect summer read! Lovely, well thought out characters! Pick it up, read it, you won’t be sorry!

This was an excellent twist on “don’t date my little sister.” Organizational expert Ali is still grieving the loss of both her mother (2 years ago) and her marriage (after a year’s separation, her husband has just asked to move forward and finalize their divorce). She’s struggling to parent three children and a dog solo most of the time, including a teen and pre-teen daughter, and is running out of pantries to organize in their small community. When she finally puts on adult pants and takes off her wedding ring before bringing her pooch to the dog park, the dog promptly pees on the shoe of a handsome stranger, who asks her out! Ali calls upon her best friend Frannie for emergency babysitting, has a lovely, if chaste, first date, and promptly runs into her new beau Ethan the next night at Frannie’s parents home–Ethan is Frannie’s younger brother aka Scooter, who has returned to help clean out the family home so her parents can more to Florida, leaving their inn and diner in the hands of their offspring. Scooter is all grown up, and a lawyer, but his reputation as a unreliable troublemaker precedes him. He and Ali decide to embark on a summer romance, and while she is viewing it a bit as a rebound, he’s had a crush on her since they were teenagers and is all in.

The weaving in of Ethan’s interest in skateboarding, and Ali’s passions for accounting and organizing enrich the narrative, as does Ali’s awkwardness, perceived failures to adult (which she is actively adulting!), and Ethan’s charm and openness. They both have a need and desire to outrun the pigeonholes their hometown keeps trying to fit them into, and they burst out of them beautifully. Ali talks aloud to the mother she misses, and hears both her mother’s affirmations and good advice, and finally addresses and challenges the voice that encouraged her to brush aside the more hurtful issues with her marriage. The structure, tone, writing, character development, and devil of the details place Morgan on par with Ali Hazelwood, Katherine Center, and Elizabeth Berg.

I received a free advance reader’s review copy of #SummerRomance via #NetGalley, courtesy of Penguin Putnam Group.

4

“Summer Romance” is both the second book being released on June 4 and the second “romcom” in a row I’ve read featuring an “older” female character who divorces from a toxic marriage and finally meets her someone. I use the term “older” loosely, particularly since they are all younger than me, because all other books of this genre tend to feature characters who are dreading the approach of their 30th birthday and the ensuing decrepitude or some such.

I have liked both of Annabel Monaghan’s previous non-YA books, which also feature established women who are taking control of their lives. This book is a sweet story about two people who obviously make each other happy and were meant to be together, but have complicated lives and think they can just have a light summer affair. Coincidentally, the other book being released, “Birding with Benefits”, also features characters who naïvely think they can be together for a limited period of time and then walk away. I’m sure you know how that’s going to go!

One thing I like about this book, which is definitely worth mentioning, is that it lacks the explicit play by play of every physical encounter or anticipatory erotic thoughts of such encounters. Sex happens and you know it has, but you feel their connection and know how they feel without hearing about every physical sensation. It was a nice change of pace.

This was a sweet story. I could vividly picture the locations she describes and I felt a connection to the characters. I love Cliffy, but also felt a connection to Greer. I could vision how Ali got to her current situation bit by bit over time and how daunting it seemed to take back her life. Though there was a bit of whiplash, I could see how you could realize that someone you love and miss terribly, in this case her late mother, can have given you both the best and worst advice, all out of love.

“Summer Romance” is just a good romantic read and the title says it all. This is your go to beach read for the summer!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for providing me with a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.

The Summer of rediscovery, skateboarding, and Scooter all grown up. Sprinkled with grief, growth, laughs and tender moments, you'll find yourself rooting for every character - except Pete iykyk. Annabel Monaghan has a reputation for capturing the best parts of Summer and Summer Romance did not disappoint. Thanks NetGalley & Putnam Books for the eARC!

Summer Romance had me feeling all of the feels-happy, sad, hopeful, distraught...every feeling, ALL of them! Our h (Ali) has three kids, lost her Mom 2 years ago and on the one year anniversary of her mom's death, her husband announced he wanted a divorce. At this point in her life, Ali doesn't really remember who she is. She's lost her spark, her sense of self, her confidence, her direction. The day Ali takes off her wedding ring, she meets Ethan at the dog park where her dog essentially chooses Ethan by peeing on his leg! At first, Ali has no clue that Ethan is her BFF's unreliable little brother "Scooter" and she takes him up on an offer of a date. Things unwind and Ali (who really only wants someone she can count on) discovers Ethan's true identity. Knowing he's Mr. Unreliable, knowing he lives 4 hours away, leads Ali to label her romance with Ethan a temporary, "Summer Romance" . The plot twists when hearts become involved and Ali is faced with the possibility that Ethan has grown into a very responsible, kind, thoughtful, reliable man who also happens to be a man who remembers just how special Ali was in high school. In fact, Ali was always his dream girl. Ethan helps Ali through her divorce, helps her finally find herself, helps her stand up to her soon to be jerk of an ex husband and finally proves to himself, Ali, his family and his whole hometown just how very reliable he really is. In the process, Ethan has to choose his new life in his new hometown or a chance at love with Ali. Ali has to decide if she can really trust herself and Ethan. In the background of this whole romance you have Ali grieving her mom, grieving the Ali she gave up when she had her kids and got married and Ali doing her best to guide her children through a divorce where their dad 100% doesn't know how to get past his own needs to just choose his kids for once. It's a very good love story with a lot of serious, heartfelt topics woven in. This book made me cry more than like but I also loved this book very much!

Summer Romance was such a bingeable, cute and swoony closed door romance! It will be the perfect summer/beach read. I fell in love with the characters and had such a hard time putting this one down. The characters were so relatable and I loved their development throughout the book. I found myself laughing out loud at some points, I loved the conversations with the MC’s mother, and I was left with a smile on my face after reading this book. I’ve loved all of the books I’ve read by this author but I think this one is my new favorite!

Annabel Monaghan’s Summer Romqnce hits it out of the park again! Nora Goes Off Script was one of my favorite reads of 2022 and I was over the moon to receive an ARC of her latest to read.

The story follows soon-to-be divorced mom Ali Morris’ bloom from becoming a closed up, meek former housewife/mom to the strong, and confident woman she once was. I loved everything about Ali—she realizes how her former married life robbed her from her glow. This story is about her own rediscovery that she is still BEJEWELED and finds her fun, light-hearted self again after all the grief life has thrown her way.

Thank you again to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for a chance to read and review an advanced copy of this book!

i have read a few other books by this author and her books are usually roller-coaster rides of emotions full of equal parts of happiness and angst. i found it funny and crazy that the female main character didnt really like the male main character in the beginning but then found herself attracted to him having absolutely no clue as to who he was. i enjoyed their story very much. while i will say that this book was very depressing at times, it definitely had its happy moments too which for the most part outweigh the sad. however, this book wasnt any different so if you like any of the others, you will like this one, too. i was really excited to get an arc. this book comes out in June. it is a great summer romance read so the title is perfect and i will definitely recommend it to friends who enjoy this type of reading.

thank you to netgalley, G.P. Putnam's Sons, Penguin Group Putnam, and Annabel Monaghan for allowing me to read this early.

This was such an enjoyable read! Fans of Katherine Center will love this book. The romance is great, but the book had so much depth in addition to the romance as well. I could not put this book down and immediately ordered more from this author's backlist.

Summer Romance follows soon-to-be divorced mom, Ali, struggling through her latest season of life. While grieving the loss of her mother for the last two years, she now finds herself with an impending divorce and raising three kids. Ali is a professional organizer but her life is just a mess. One day, she decides to wear presentable clothing and head to the dog park. There she meets Ethan and has an instant attraction. While Ali isn't sure she's ready to date she does humor the idea of a summer romance.

I really enjoy Annabel Monaghan's novels. Her characters are always relatable and you're cheering them on through their life challenges. I enjoy her character development and how when you end a novel, you feel like you truly knew the characters. I enjoyed the growth of Ali and seeing her transformation as Ethan enters her life. It was empowering to see her find her voice again. Annabel's novels are always added to my TBR list as I know she won't let me down with her writing. I can't wait to see where she goes next with her next novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Grab the tissues and add this book to your TBR for June 2024. It's an enjoyable summer beach read!

Ali Morris is grieving the loss of her mom and her marriage when she runs into her best friend’s little brother and sparks fly. This romance is full of unexpected depth, and I loved every minute of it. I was rooting for Ali’s growth and development into a self-assured woman and mother as much as I was the romance. The setting was also superb and perfect for a summer read. This takes the top spot for me by this author - a must-read if you loved Nora Goes Off Script.

Pub Date: 6/4/24
Review Published: 5/14/24
eARC received from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

It took me some time to get into the rhythm of this, but sure enough I got the comparisons to Katherine Center's books. The male hero is swoony and I hated to book this book down in between work breaks, eager to get to HEA.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved how relatable Ali was. It was so fun to read about her coming back to herself and how Ethan helped her realize what she deserves. I adore Ethan, he’s the perfect summer book boyfriend.

a perfect romance that also deal with heavy topics, like grief, losing yourself in marriage and finding yourself again
not spicy but so good and a great beach read!