I will always read a Annabel Monaghan book.
I admit , her last one was not my favorite, but this one reminded me so much of her first in terms of feeling that I loved it.

one thing i love about her books is that the main female characters are older. It was a beautiful summer romance. perfect for the pool , the beach or your couch.

She does not miss.

This was a heartwarming closed door romance that was sweet, without veering into cheesy. The characters were relatable and I loved going on Ali's journey of finding herself after divorce.

Annabel Monaghan seems to only get better with each book, once again she completely swept me up in the world of her story. Her books hit that sweet spot for me - they have a lit / women’s fiction tilt with strong romantic arc throughout. Her story’s are always engaging, relatable, thought provoking and heartfelt.

In Summer Romance, we meet Ali - professional organizer struggling to organize her own life, newly single mother of three, and finding herself a bit overwhelmed and it a rut with these things while still grieving the loss of her own mother 2 years prior. The pending divorce, as well as meeting someone new shakes things up and suddenly Ali is finding out how to put the pieces together and start to build a new life.

I love so many aspects of Monaghan’s story telling, but one thing that stands out for me is the fact that her characters are a bit more experienced. Ali is 38 - she’s lived life. She’s grown, she’s had a career, a family. It’s nice to read about the experiences of a character in this age range- it’s not all shiny new first experiences, but a character with some true life experience to draw on. I like that Ali wasn’t just a 25-30 year old which gave some more depth for me.

Her characters feel real and relatable. I was invested in Ali and Ethan. I was interested to see them explore their journeys and nuances of their individual experiences. Ali honestly felt so real, like one of my friends with the issues she was handling: divorce, grief, dating again, parenthood, being an adult.

The story was heartwarming and authentic. I loved the characters, mains and secondary, and was so pleased to get swept up in how things would all play out. The romance was paced just right for me and had just the right role within the story. This was an easy five stars read for me, I wanted to slow my pace to make it last but I quickly devoured it and found the ending satisfying and it left me smiling.

Such a wonderful story that begins with our protagonist dealing with the loss of her mother, separation of her husband, and raising 3 kids (essentially) on her own. Monaghan has a way of connecting you to her characters and involving very relatable life events and emotions. Would recommend for your next beach/pool day!

5 solid stars for this fun summer read! I love that the main characters are adults with experience of love and loss. The relationship that develops between the two feels so organic and right. As I was reading this book, I’d have to stop and restart and I couldn’t wait to get reading again. I highly recommend this book!

From the publisher:

There aren’t enough labeled glass containers to contain the mess that is Ali Morris’s life. Her mom died two years ago, then her husband left, and she hasn’t worn pants with a zipper in longer than she cares to remember. She’s a professional organizer whose pantry is a disgrace.

No one is more surprised than Ali when the first time she takes off her wedding ring and puts on pants with hardware—overalls count, right?—she meets someone. Or rather, her dog claims a man for her in the same way he claimed his favorite of her three children: by peeing on him. Ethan smiles at Ali like her pants are just right—like he likes what he sees. The last thing Ali needs is to make her life messier, but there’s no harm in a little Summer Romance. Is there?

Thanks to G.P. Putnam’s and Sons and NetGalley, I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was a fantastic read that I gobbled up in a day! Give it a try if you like more mature romances with very relatable characters. Annabel Monaghan is fast becoming a favorite author for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for the advanced digital copy of the book for my honest opinion.

I loved “Same Time Next Summer” and was really looking forward to Monaghan’s next book. I admit to feeling a little trepidation about whether she could hit another home run. Like so many of her fans I was really looking forward to the release of “Summer Romance”. Starting the book I was not quite feeling it but then all it took was a dog peeing on a guy’s left sneaker to convince me that Annabel Monaghan had written another amazing book embracing all her quirky characters and sprinkling just the right amount of “wishing someone would shove a sandwich in my mouth to shut me up.”

I loved the whole mess, Ali, Ali’s dead mother sometimes known as Fancy, Pete Ali’s jerk of a husband who is the perfect person to really dislike, Scooter a potential paramour, Frannie her bestest forever, Ferris and especially Cliffy. The introduction and importance of a charm bracelet. The setting of the small suburban town just north of Manhattan and just south of Connecticut was perfect. Actually it was all perfect, the characters, the setting, the story.

Many thanks to G.P Putnam’s Sons and NetGalley for a copy.

I enjoyed this story, though it had a lot more to do with the divorce and family situations than the romance between Ethan and Ali. I did not love the ending, as I was hoping for another outcome for them all. I thought a move to Dover would actually have made the most sense to the story, but I still enjoyed it.
Overall, cute summer story.

Reading an Annabel book in the summer feels so right. This book gave me all the warm, summery feels and I really enjoyed it. I absolutely loved the setting, the fmc’s growth and development through the story, and how fast paced the story was. I read this in less than 12 hours bc the writing was so quick and easy to read. That’s one of the things I love most about Annabel’s books!!

The biggest thing that took away from this book for me was that I could never fully connect to the two main characters. I just didn’t see the connection. I still feel like I don’t really know Ethan that well and would’ve liked a bit more from his character? I really liked Ali and her personality separately, but them as a couple I just couldn’t see it.

Still loved this book and the story, and I will always pick up an Annabel book in the summer 🩵

Wow, this book was boring. I guess I am an outlier on this one, but it felt like it dragged on forever and nothing ever happened. Alice is a pretty boring overwhelmed mom of 3. She is going through a divorce and she organizes everything but her own life for a living. Her ex is a jerk, her mom recently died, but her mom, despite being an important part of her life, was super instrumental in Ali losing herself to her husband and kids.

Enter Scooter/Ethan, who is a hot skateboarding lawyer but also her best friends annoying little brother. And insta love.

The romance was super tame, they were just immediately in love. There were some funny parts, but there was a lot of repetition in Ali's inner dialogue. Despite the grief, the divorce, the love, this book was super shallow. Alice never wanted to deal with her feelings, when she finally stood up for herself it was like one statement and then poof, she started calling herself super woman. There was not really any big events or drama in this book. Everything just turned out fine.

I appreciate the ARC from the publisher and NetGalley. This was a light easy read, but unfortunately, a very boring one.

After loving NORA GOES OFF SCRIPT and liking SAME TIME NEXT SUMMER I had really high hopes for this book and unfortunately they weren't met for me. I picked up and set this book down three times before finally getting into the story. Once I was in, it was very bingeable but it took quite some time to get there. I think part of my issue is there isn't enough dialogue for me. In the future, I am thinking audio will be the way to go with her stories. I always end up enjoying them, but this one felt unnecessarily slow.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for allowing me to be an early reader! All thoughts are my own.

Ali Morris is in a fog. Her mother passed away two years ago, and exactly a year after that, her husband Pete left her. She's been struggling to balance life ever since - her three kids, a dog, a house, and trying to work as a professional home organizer. When she meets a handsome stranger Ethan at the dog park one day - her dog PEES ON HIM - she feels a glimmer of herself coming back to life. When Ali and Ethan go on a day, she feels sparks fly, only to find out the next day, Ethan is actually her friend Frannie's little brother all grown up. Ali allows herself to give in to the feelings she has for Ethan under the guise of a summer fling, but as the summer days wither away, Ali wonders if the relationship might have staying power.

I loved this story so much! The small town setting, fun side characters - including the dogs! - and Ali and Ethan's chemistry were all 10/10. I love how Annabel Monaghan's books are so domestic and yet really burrow into your heart. I found myself wanting to hug Ali, strangle her deadbeat husband Pete, and high five Ethan every time he validated Ali and allowed her to come back to herself. This book was such a warm hug and the coastal small town setting felt just like summer. Monaghan is an auto-read author for me and this book just further proved that!

TW: Death of a loved one, divorce, toxic marriage

This book was perfect. Annabel Monaghan does such a great job writing romance with 30-something year old protagonists that have been through life. Her books do qualify as a summer romance, but also have much more hearty themes and beautiful executions.

Ali has lived her life in a blur the past few years. Her mother passed away, her husband left her, and she just can't seem to get it together. She loves her three children, but every other part of her life feels like she's in a fog. When she takes her dog to the dog park and he pees on a handsome stranger, things start looking up. Can she be brave, take a chance, and find the strong girl she once was?

Again, this book was amazing. I feel like every mother in the middle years of parenting will perfectly understand Ali and her ennui with life. It's so easy to lose yourself in the monotony. The portrait of grief was also so well done. Despite all of that, this is not a sad book. This was a book about Ali reclaiming herself while finding a new love. I loved Ethan and how he brought out the best sides of Ali. Their relationship felt both romantic and real.

Annabel Monaghan is a must read, auto-buy author for me! If you are a fan of Emily Henry or Kate Clayborn, her books will be for you too!

Thank you to G.P. Putnam and NetGalley for the e-book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, for an advance reader’s copy of Summer Romance. I love Annabel Monghan’s writing. I discovered her through Nora Goes Off Script on NetGalley, and I eagerly anticipate her new release each year. Summer Romance is no exception to her literary magic. I enjoyed the sweet story of Ethan and Ali. The town of Beechwood was so charming, as were the quirky secondary characters. Monaghan dealt with the difficult themes of grief, motherhood, and feeling “stuck” in a realistic and respectful way. The ending ties everything together beautifully, and reading Summer Romance was the best way to kick off my “champagne summer!”

Ali Morris’ life is messy, and that’s really saying something because she’s a professional organizer. Two years ago her mother died and then her husband left her. Ever since then she’s been avoiding reality as much as a single mom of three can while wearing soft pants!

It’s the beginning of summer. She’s finally moving ahead with the divorce, so she takes her ring off, throws on a pair of overalls and takes her dog to the dog park where Ferris promptly pees on the shoes of a very handsome man. The last thing Ali needs in her life is more mess but a fun little summer romance can’t hurt. Right?

While I enjoyed last year’s Same Time Next Summer, it didn’t have the same sparkle as Nora Goes Off Script. I’m so happy to say Summer Romance is right back in the wheelhouse where I like Annabel Monaghan to be. Adults of a certain age (more characters in their late 30’s please!) with real adult lives figuring out how to make love work best for them. My favorite thing about Summer Romance is how it’s both a story about Ali learning to find herself again and the sweet story of Ali and Ethan’s romance. The cast of characters in this one is so lively and fun from her three kids all the way to Ali’s elderly neighbor Phyllis.

Annabel Monaghan remains queen of the perfect breezy heartfelt summer beach read!

Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for providing a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. #SummerRomance #NetGalley

✨ 𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰✨

“𝙄 𝙖𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙮 𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚.”

𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 🌶️
𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬:
𝐒𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧: 43%
𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬: Best friend’s brother, he falls first, single mom, it’s always been you
𝐏𝐎𝐕: 1st person, Single POV
𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Single
𝐊𝐔: No

This was a sweet book about a woman who gets a second chance at a happily ever after following divorce. I love the “it’s always been you” trope so naturally, I loved all the revelations from Ethan (MMC) saying how it’s always been her for him.

Overall, this was cute but I wanted a bit more development in almost every area. The FMC is a single mom who is on a journey to self-discovery, and I would have loved to see more about her children. She is a mom of 3 and I kept forgetting about the 3rd kid because of how infrequent they were mentioned.

Also, given the title is “Summer Romance”, personally I wanted more romance! It was cute, but I wanted more swoony moments. Even so, I still really enjoyed reading this one!


⚠️𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬:⚠️
Moderate language

10* stars.
This book was the perfect summer read. I related to this story so very much. It was beautiful and emotional. This was my first book from this author and it will not be my last.

Another great summer read from Annabel Monaghan! This book gives you all the feels. Ali is broken hearted from some pretty hard blows that life has sent her direction. It's time for a her to start living her life again and it doesn't hurt that she meets a man at the dog park that gives her some feelings that she's never felt before. I just love the way Monaghan writes her stories, they have so much heart and the characters are real and are dealing with their own real life problems. Annabel Monaghan is definitely one of my go to authors!

What a cute romance ! It is perfect for summer reading. The characters were very likable and relatable. I loved the skateboarding addition. I loved all of Annabel Monaghan books and this one was no exception. Give it a read !

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the digital arc in exchange for my honest review.

Ali’s life is in shambles. Her mom died and her husband asked for a divorce. She takes her dog to the dog park and her dog pees on an Ethan’s shoe. They keep meeting around town when he asks her out on a date but he’s hiding a secret.

Ethan is only on town for the summer and Ali decides that maybe a summer romance is just what she needs. Throughout the summer Ali realizes how much her marriage changed her and starts to transform herself back to her former self.

I absolutely loved Summer Romance. It was cute and relatively light book. I loved the characters and how they overcame being stuck in their lives and find true happiness.

I’d definitely recommend Summer Romance!

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Putnam for a copy of Summer Romance for an honest review