5/5 stars. This book was incredibly lovely and was the best vacation beach read. It is a sweet and thoughtful story that feels relatable and also will give you butterflies! It’s closed door but I really enjoyed both of the main characters and the small town vibes. I read and enjoyed Nora Goes Off Script but I liked this one even more. I would recommend this one to everyone!

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Grouo Putnam for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Ali's life is...a bit of a mess. Her mom died, then her husband left, and she can't be bothered to wear clothing other than sweats. Then her dog makes friends with another dog at a dog park....and Ali suddenly finds herself out on a date for the first time in forever. Ethan is younger, a ton of fun, and maybe just what Ali needs to jump start her life again. A summer romance with an expiration date feels like something she can handle with the rest of her crazy life.

This book, like very book I've read by Monaghan, is just absolutely amazing. I love all of the characters (even if I do occasionally want to beat Ethan's family about the head because of how they treat him). She makes you feel as if you're a part of the story, remembering your summer romances of the past (or maybe dreaming of ones you may have, depending on your age or station in life). I love the setting--there are beaches (what every summer romance needs, right?) and secret spots, and good food spots. She also makes sure to tug at your heart strings, and I'll admit parts of this book had me in tears because the pain was just so real.
I'm also generally not a fan of age gap romances (though the gap here is fairly small and if the roles were reversed it probably wouldn't even be mentioned), but Mongahan masterfully shows us how well a younger guy/older girl can work if it's done right.

I think this might be my favorite of her books so far. Loved it.

This book was such a delight to read! Ali is a mother of three children, and she is almost divorced from her husband. Ali is a professional organizer for other people's homes, but her own home and her own life are chaotic at the moment. Her mother passed away two years ago, and then, her husband said he wanted a divorce. Her life has been changing so much over the past few years, and she feels like she has lost who she really is.

She meets a man named Ethan at the dog park, and sparks fly. He asks her on a date, and it's the first time in a long time that she feels like herself. She can be who she is, and Ethan wants to spend time with her. Their connection is so sweet and genuine.

I really connected with this story because I am a similar age to Ali, and I can appreciate how difficult it is to get back to the world after being a stay at home parent for many years. Struggling with being a person outside of being a wife and/or a mother can be difficult, and I loved reading about Ali's journey. Ali is 38, and Ethan is 36. Their ages showed that they have grown and matured. I appreciated that so much.

Overall, this was a very sweet and heartfelt love story that I had a lot of fun reading.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Putnam for this ARC.

Annabel Monaghan strikes again! She never fails to write one of my favorite books of the year, and this one just may be my favorite of her's yet! Ali and Ethan are one of the best couples-- their relationship was so sweet and supportive and heartwarming. I especially loved how they showed up for one another and were integral parts in each other's character arcs from the beginning to the end of the book (which were excellent, by the way). The theme that love is worth it, even when you know it could end in heartbreak, was so poignant and the ways Monaghan punctuated it throughout the story brought me to tears. Summer Romance is a triumph!

*Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

How is it possible that book after book, it seems like Anabel Monaghan is writing exactly the book I want to read? This book is a reminder that life doesn't stop in your late 30s. Ali, facing down a divorce and floundering for a new career, is adamant that Ethan is just a summer romance, and it's the way he keeps reminding her that there are more remarkable moments to come in her life that hit me hard (that, and the ongoing thread of metaphor about dogs). A PERFECT summer read.

This book was delightful! It was such a heartfelt and relatable book. Ali's journey of self discovery and growth was beautiful and real. She was such a likable character, flaws and all. I loved Ethan and thought he was the perfect male lead who added to Ali's journey and provided depth to the story. Even though this is a lighthearted story, it still covered grief, depression, complicated family dynamics, divorce, and motherhood. I'm always amazed by how this author manages to cram so much plot and heart into so few pages. If you are looking for an easy, well written beach read then I highly recommend this one!

With a pending divorce and summer looming, Ali takes off her wedding ring and puts on hard pants for the first time in ages. A walk in the park, a meet-disaster-cute later and Ali sets her heart on a summer romance.
I devoured! This book has my heart and will easily rank among my favorites. Ali is extremely relatable as a mom first, woman second - it's so easy to forget self-care and worth - with her priorities and "aha moments". Her ex is a major turd so Ethan really shines. Ethan is so weird and lovely, basically as perfect as can be. It's funny and romantic, the setting and the supporting cast are just as loveable as the main characters. I highly recommend picking up this book for the perfect summery escape.
Thank you to Putnam and Netgalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

4.5 stars thanks to Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for the E-ARC. I want to start of by stating that Nora Goes Off Script was my favorite book by Mrs. Monaghan until I read and fell in love with Summer Romance. This book hit close to home I am also separated with a child and have lost my mother like Ali. It was so nice seeing Ali grow into the person that she had always been I felt that this was so much more than a Summer Romance this book showed me that its okay to become something else than a mother. Its okay to move on and be happy and I loved it.

Summer Romance is the perfect summer read. It has everything a reader could want in a summer book: beach town, romance, and found family.

This book follows Ali, a mom of three in her late thirties, who is currently going through a divorce while also grieving the loss of her mother. She feels stuck in her life and for the past two years has only been focused on taking care of her kids and wearing sweatpants. One day, she finally decides to get ready and go to the dog park where she meets Ethan. Her first encounter with an eligible man since she separated from her husband. After a few encounters, she decides to have a summer romance with Ethan but of course, it is never that simple.

While this book touches on subjects such as grief and divorce, it does so in a way that is lighthearted and engaging for the reader. This book is a must-have for summer!

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam Books for this advance reader copy!

Like its title, I’m a little afraid this book won’t be as memorable as other summer romance novels this season.

And yet, I think general audiences (who are romance readers) will really like this book. And I even expect it to be extremely popular. It’s predictable and steady, not spicy -- with themes most can connect with on some level. But, avid readers and those on book socials will likely not feel the five-star spark of excitement from this one.

As for me, I feel pretty neutral on it - the writing was good, the story was well plotted, it was a quick, easy read where the good guy wins. But not much happened--and it, once again, felt a little "too easy" in terms of conflict resolution.

That being said, I was recently following some discourse on Insta about why we read romance novels: because there’s a promise there for readers, a guaranteed payoff in the form of an HEA.

Monaghan’s novel has that - and I am confident that, for most readers, that will be enough. It wasn't for me, but we'll definitely see this on the bestseller list and I can confidently recommend it to my audience.

Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan is an easy beach read, perfect for summer!

The story follows Ali Morris, an about-to-be-divorced mom of three who is trying to find some time in her life just for herself. Enter Ethan, a handsome and kind man who sweeps her off her feet—after her dog pees on his! Little does Ali know, she’s met Ethan before.

One thing I always appreciate about Monaghan’s novels is that her FMCs are in their thirties, and we get that again here with Ali. Monaghan does not shy away from giving her mom main character a satisfying sex life!

I’m not sure many will top Nora Goes Off Script for me, but Summer Romance is book that gives the reader just what they are looking for when they pick up a summer book: a fun reading experience, an idyllic location, and a little bit of love.

Annabel Monaghan remains a queen of summer reads with this one!

When I heard Annabel Monaghan's next book was coming out, it became one of my most anticipated books of the summer. And it did not disappoint!

Ali has 3 kids, is separated from her husband, and is still grieving from the loss of her mom 2 years earlier. She's kind of given up on trying to be happy. With the encouragement of her friend Frannie, she puts on "hard pants" aka real pants with buttons and a zipper, and meets Ethan at the dog park. I'll leave it at that and let you discover the rest (which is what I prefer, so I didn't read any more of the description.)

Annabel Monaghan writes real women and their real-life situations so well. Ali is a professional organizer, whose own house and space is disorganized, and who deferred to her husband after leaving her "real" job to care for the kids. Pete, her husband, is ready to file for divorce, so this is a perfect time for a summer romance, but yet she still needs to make her kids her first priority. And the 7th grade girl drama was written to perfection and how a mom feels she needs to be a shining example for her daughters.

I could go on and on, but the bottom line is I loved this book. It's tied with Nora Goes Off Script, Monaghan's debut novel. And I highly recommend it for summer reading.

Thanks so much to @PutnamBooks and #Netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. I was so excited to get it!

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. No one is more surprised than Ali when the first time she takes off her wedding ring, she meets someone. The last thing Ali needs is to make her life messier, but there’s no harm in a little summer romance.

One go.. I finished this book in one go. That's how addictive it was. Just like any other Annabel's books, this felt real, comforting, & romantic.

Ali & Ethan's chemistry was something else entirely. You could actually feel this relationship being endgame. And the writing was so perfect - it made some deep issues not feel triggering. At times I could feel my anger boiling over Ali's ex husband but the way Ali took charge of everything was fascinating.

Ethan was a cinnamon roll hero who did the good deeds silently, being out of the picture. Some people dive into your lives at the right moment, making the right impact, and he was one of them.

There was this clever twist in the beginning that reminded me of "This Summer Will Be Different," and a heartbreaking scene that reminded me of "Dear Emmie Blue." And note that I loved those books.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Summer Romance is about a newly single mother of three who is dealing with the grief of losing her mother and parts of herself in the process. While I realy can't relate to Ali in any aspect since i am not married or divorced, don't have kids and don't have a deceased mother, Annabel's characters carry some sense of familiarity and reliabilty with them. I could feel and understand what her characters were going through, and i rooted for them from the start. Ali's journey of self discovery and self love was the most beautiful thing to witness.

I adored Ali's personal story and internal growth but also her journey of dating again after a failed marriage, it was so fun. Never was it cringe or uncomfortable. Ethan and the freaking man that he is 😮‍💨🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️ Her and Ethan made me so giddy! They were so sweet and adorbale together. He is so caring and kind and supportive and truly met Ali where she was at!

I cannot wait to have the phyiscal copy and read it again and annotate it! This is the perfect summer romance! The small coastal town setting with the flowers and books made for the perfect overall story. I adore this book and its emphasis on relationship and loving with no fears.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the advance reader copy.

4 ⭐️

This was my third read from Annabel Monaghan in the last month and her books are just perfect for the summer. This was funny and heartwarming while also being sad and bringing me to tears at the same time. There are few books that make me truly giddy when characters meet and have a fresh relationship where they’re nervous going on first dates but Annabel’s writing makes them feel so real. They felt so mature and their problems felt nonfictional. I loved Ali, she is such a strong admirable woman and I really loved the perspective of motherhood in this. Ethan was such a softie sweetheart and definitely my top AM man.

Annabel truly has some of the best adult closed door romances I have read, while still feeling mature and making you feel so many emotions!! I will read any book of hers.

I love a good romance and this one did not disappoint!

While still grieving her mothers passing Ali's husband drops a bomb that he no longer wants to be together and then he left her with their three children to pick up the pieces of their life. Now that they are starting the divorce proceedings she is beginning to see how he wore her down and made her feel small and undeserving of anything she wants.

But once Ali meets Ethan she starts to rediscover herself and her self worth. She begins to do things that make herself happy and once she does she begins to bloom as a person. She finds both her happiness and her peace when she starts to use her organization skills on her own life.

But can she find the love that she didn't have in her marriage or will she be too scared of the possible hurt that can come if its only a summer romance.

I enjoyed this book a lot. It was the first book I have read by Annabel Monaghan. I chose this because I have some of her other book on my to read list. This was really romantic and I loved the ending. I'm grateful that netgalley and the publishers let me read this in exchange for an honest review.

Annabel Monaghan’s books are some of my absolute favorite summer reads. Nora Goes Off Script is a favorite, I enjoyed Same Time Next Summer, and I’m so happy that Summer Romance lived up to my expectations.
Ali is a newly single mom of three kids, trying to figure it all out and the last thing she expected was her friend’s younger brother, Ethan. Instant attraction - he’s had a crush on her for years! - and great chemistry later, he makes Ali feel like a better, braver version of herself - the person she used to be.

But Ethan is not there to stay, and Ali’s whole life (and her kids’) cannot be uprooted. When what began as a summer romance starts to become something deeper, Ali feels the need to guard herself against further heartbreak.

I loved all the characters (except for Ali’s POS ex husband) and there was so much genuinely felt emotion and heart in this story. Ali’s connections with her children, her elderly neighbor, her connection with her mom who passed away - it was all beautifully written. There was grief and love and new beginnings and so much joy!

I highly recommend this book as a perfect addition to everyone’s summer TBR.

I loved this book from the first page to the last. The setting, the characters, the heavier themes, and the writing were all perfect. I wish all romance books made me feel this way - excited and hopeful and like my heart is breaking and healing along with the characters. Annabel Monaghan is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.

Thanks to NetGalley & Penguin Group Putnam for the ebook. I won’t lie, the first 8% I legitimately questioned if I was going to be able to get thru the book… but the last 92%, I read in one sitting on a slow day at work. It was so good. It was feel good while also dealing with the emotional roller coaster of grief.